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Commentary on lines 451–600

οὔτε σφιν It has been thought that either οὗ τι in 450 must be changed to οὔτε, or οὔτε here to οὐδέ. If so, the latter is preferable, for οὔ τι is expressive.

συννοών *τε *τἀξ ἐμοῦ And comparing with them in thought those ancient oracles, which I bring from my own store, the same which Phoebus once accomplished upon me. Cp. supr. 93

τὰ ἐξ ἐμοῦ, Which come from my side; i. e. in making the comparison. Cp. Τr. 631, τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ. The correction, although questioned by Dindorf, who supposes some deeper corruption of the text, is probable enough.

ἐὰν γὰρ . . ἀρεῖσθε Cp. 72, ὡς ἄν, προσαρκῶν μικρά, κερδάνῃ μέγα: 647-648, ΘΗ. μέγ᾽ ἂν λέγοις δώρημα τῆς συνουσίας. ΟΙ. εἰ σοί γ᾽ ἅπερ φὴς ἐμμενεῖ τελοῦντί μοι: 815, τίς δ'᾽ ἄν με τῶνδε συμμάχων ἕλοι βίᾳ; 1206, ΟΙ. μόνον, ξέν', εἴπερ κεῖνος ὧδ᾽ ἐλεύσεται, μηδεὶς κρατείτω τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς ποτέ: 1489, 90, ΟΙ. ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἔπασχον εὖ, τελεσφόρον χάριν δοῦναί σφιν, ἥνπερ τυγχάνων ὑπεσχόμην. The extension of present aid is everywhere put forward as a condition of the permanent blessing. The task of defence which he here entreats them to undertake, is fulfilled by them in resisting Creon.

μου is genitive of the object, for which see Essay on Language § 9. p. 12.

πρὸς * ταῖσδε ταῖς σεμναῖσι δημούχοις θεαîs] In addition to these dread goddesses that protect your deme. This seems the most probable as it is the simplest emendation of this line. Others are πρὸς ταῖσι τρισσεμναῖσι, ὁμοῦ | προστάτισι ταῖς, ξὺν προστάταις. πρός harmonizes well with the emphatic ὑμεῖς. σύν has probably been inserted as a gloss L² has ταῖς σεπταῖσι.

ἀλκὴν ποιεῖσθαι 'Το undertake defence,' like τὰς μήχας ποιούμενος, Εl. 302: ἐποιοῦντο βουλήν, Hdt. 6. 101.

τῇδε μὲν πόλει This reading is preferred (1) for the antithesis; (2) because tῇ may be accounted for as a corruption of yῇ explaining πόλει.

τοῖς δ᾽ ἐμοῖς ἐχθροῖς Oedipus reverts to his own personal objects, as in 308-309 (εὐτυχὴς ἵκοιτο τῇ θ᾽ αὑτοῦ πόλει ἐμοί τε). although, as in that passage, the chief stress is laid on what is mentioned first. At the same time he leaves it to be implied that his enemies are the enemies of Athens. Cp. infra 646, ἐν ᾧ κρατήσω τῶν ἔμ᾽ ἐκβεβληκότων. The corruption in Lis due to itacism. 461 ff. The coming of Theseus is still delayed, and the scruples of the chorus cannot be set at rest without some formal expiation on the part of Oedipus. The presence of Ismene enables this to be made without Oedipus or Antigone leaving the stage. She goes to perform this service, and the chorus continue harping on the interminable theme (adding the confessional to the sacrifice), when Theseus at last enters bringing with him a very different spirit. His coming clears the air at once.

ἐπεμβάλλεις You add, to give further weight, as if throwing into the scale. Cp. supra 293, λόγοισι γὰρ οὐκ ὠνόμασται βραχέσι. And since you add in what you have now said that you are yourself the saviour of this land. λόγῳ is partly instrumental dative, partly governed by ev in ἐπεμβάλλεις.

παραινέσαι.. τὰ σύμφορα Το give you advice that will assist you.'

προξένει 'Give me friendly instructions. On the uses of this word, see Essay on Language p. 97. It is here specially applicable to the position of Oedipus as a stranger, and of the chorus who are advising him in a matter where they are most of all at home.

θοῦ νυν καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων) Institute a propitiation of these deities. Lit. A purification in relation to them. For the genitive, see Essay on Language $9. p. 12; and for θέσθαι in this sense, O. T. 134, τήνδ ἔθεσθ᾽ ἐπιστροφήν. vuv seems preferable to vûv after the imperative.

καὶ κατέστειψας πέδον ὧν (or αὐτῶν) may be supplied from ἐφ᾽ ἅs. The reading is doubtful. κατέστεψας is unmeaning; but κατάστεψον πέδον, Adorn the ground with garlands, receives some support from the description that follows. For κατέστειψας, which gives the most natural meaning and best rhythm, cp. supra 56, ὃν δ' ἐπιστείβεις τόπον. And for the thought, cp. supr. 84, 5 and note.

ἐνεγκοῦ Have brought. ferendam cura.

δι᾽ ὁσίων χειρῶν θιγών The minute directions belong to the ceremonial of the place possibly still in use in the time of Sophocles. ὁσίαι χεῖρες here as in Aesch. Cho. 378, are hands pure from guilt. So Horace, Od. 3. 23. 17, Immunis aram si tetigit manus, Non sumtuosa blandior hostia Mollivit aversos Penates Farre pio et saliente mica, in lines which also recall the spirit of infra 498-499, ἀρκεῖν γὰρ οἶμαι κἀντὶ μυρίων μίαν | ψυχὴν τάδ' ἐκτίνουσαν, ὴν εὔνους παρῇ. The precept to wash the hands (Schndw.) is probably included, but with a ceremonial significance. Cp. Αj. 655, λύμαθ᾽ ἁγνίσας ἐμά.

τέχνη Abstract for concrete. See Essay on Language p. 94; and cp. Phil. 35, 36, φλαυρουργοῦ τινὸς τεχνήματ᾿ ἀι δρός. For the (Epic) form of the sentence, cp. Τr. 752, ἀκτή τις ἐστιν. ἔιθα, κ.τ.λ.

κρᾶτα is probably plural here, as in Pind. Fr. 3 (Eustath. 1715. 63), τρία κρᾶτα. Cp. the Homeric κράατα.

ἀμφιστόμους Projecting on either side, rather than On either side the brim. See L. and S. s. ν. στόμα IΙI. The latter part of the compound is unemphatic.

οἰός * γε νεαρᾶς *εὐπόκῳ μαλλῷ λαβών] The insertion of γε (Heath) is the most probable of the various corrections (νεώρου, νεώρους, νεώρας, νεώρει, ν ογνῆς, νεαλοῦς, γε νεαρᾶς) of the first part of this line. γε refers to κρόκαισιν, which it confirms and amplifies. Yes, with a fillet of wool from a young ewelamb.' νεοτόκῳ, lately born, would express the feeling of ceremonial superstition with more exactness than veo- πόκῳ, which is made up by combining the MS. readings, and may mean either newly-clipped (an etymological use, for which cp. Essay on Language pp. 99, 100) or consisting of young wool.' But there is no motive for a twofold resolution (2) in this line, and εὐπόκῳ gives a simple and natural sense. Cp. Τr. 675, ἀργῆτ᾽ οἰὺς εὐείρῳ πύκῳ. Supposing ve to have crept in from the previous word, the variation of reading may be easily accounted for.

χοὰς χέασθαι.. Hom. Od. 10. 518, χοὴν χεῖσθαι. Cp. Crat. Com. 2. p. 151, ἄγε δὴ πρὸς ἕω πρῶτον ἁπάντων ἵστω καὶ λάμβανε χερσὶν | σχῖνον μεγάλην: Sen. Oed. 338, Altum taurus attollens caput primos ad ortus positus expavit diem. The place of offering was probably on the eastward side of the hill. See Introd. p. 273.

ἦ.. χέω Cp. supr. 195, ἢ ᾿σθῶ;

πηγάς El. 894-895, νεορρύτους | πηγὰς γάλακτος.

τὸν τελευταῖον δ' ὅλον i. e. τὸν τελευταῖον κρωσσὸν χέοις ἂν ὅλον.

With what am I to fill this that I may make the libation?" πλήσας is suggested by ὅλον. θῶ would properly govern χοήν (cp. 466), for which κρωσσών is substituted. Three vessels are to be used for the threefold libation (Ant. 431, χοαῖσι τρισπώνδοισι τὸν νέκυν στέφει); two partly filled with pure water, the third, filled to the brim with water and honey.

The asyndeton as elsewhere in enumeration. Cp. supr. 17. Instead of a third element, which the hearer might have expected, the prohibition of wine is interposed.

μελίσσης For the metonymy, see Essay on Language p. 81. Schol. ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ ποιοῦν.

τος τὸ ποιούμενον. καὶ ἐν Ἐρασταῖς: Γλώσσης μελίσσης τῷ κατερρυηκότι.

μηδέ But not. Cp. 405, note.

The earth covered with dark leaves;' whether referring to the dark greensward (a slight variation of γαῖα μέλαινα), or to the deep shades of Colonus. Cp. supr. 157 ff.

ἐξ ἀμφοῖν χεροῖν Οn both sides.' For αὐτῇ = εἰς αὐτήν, see Essay on Language § 11. p. 18. Philochorus quoted by Schol. on l. 100: οὐ μόνον θυσίας νηφαλίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ξύλα τινά.

τάσδ᾽ ἐπεύχεσθαι λιτάς Το add this prayer.' Cp. O. T. 1275 and note.

μέγιστα γάρ The prayer appears to Oedipus more important than the external rites, which, however, he is ready to fulfil. τούτων is neuter.

σωτήριον The passive use of adjectives in -τήριος is rare, and it has been attempted to give σωτήριον here an active meaning, inasmuch as Oedipus proclaims himself the saviour of Athens. But the chorus have very imperfectly realised this conception, and the expression of it would have seemed to them little in accordance with the humility of a prayer. The terms of petition are general, like the description of the previous ceremony. That they would receive their suppliant and afford him safety. See Essay on Language p. 99.

αἰτοῦ σύ γ', αὐτός γε adds a slight emphasis to the reply.

μηκύνων βοήν Speaking aloud. Cp. the Homeric μακρὸν ἀϋτεῖν, and the like. According to Polemo, quoted by the Scholiast on this line, the sacred rites of the Eumenides were entrusted to the family of the Ἡσυχίδαι.

θαρσῶν ἂν παρασταίην I will defend you without fear. Said in reply to ll. 458-459. For the fears of the chorus, cp infr. 1483-1485.

χώ τι δεῖ πρόστασσε And appoint us what we must do. For the order of words, see Essay on Language $ 41. P. 77.

τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι μήθ᾽ ὁρᾶν 'The want of strength as well as sight. Two objections have been made to this reading-that μήτε requires a preceding μήτε, and that δύνασθαι cannot be equivalent to ἰσχύειν. But the former objection appears arbitrary (cp. supra 451): and with regard to the latter, for δύνασθαι applied to bodily strength, cp. II. 20. 360, ὅσσον δύναμαι χερσίν τε ποσίν τε: Lys. 168. 26, τῷ σώματι δύνασθαι : Plat. Phaedr. 269 D, and the Homeric use of δύναμις. See also Essay on Language pp. 95, 96. Compare Shakspeare, As You Like It, 2. 7, Oppressed with two weak evils, age and hunger.'

The value of a pure intention is similarly asserted in the two lines, preserved from the Aletes of Sophocles by Stobaeus, ψυχὴ γὰρ εὔνους καὶ φρονοῦσα τοῦνδικον | κρείσσων σοφιστοῦ παντός ἐστιν εὑρέτις. Fr. 98.

τάδ᾽ ἐκτίνουσαν Paying these dues. The change from the MS. reading is very slight, being a correction of the simplest itacism (cp. Ant. 856, where L gives ἐκτείνεις for ἐκτίνεις) and ἐκτείνουσαν has never been successfully defended.

τι is idiomatic. Cp. Tr. 305, εἴ τι δράσεις: Phil. 286, κἄδει τι . . διακονεῖσθαι.

μόνον δέ . . λείπετ' But leave me not alone. This gives the reason for 497, where only one of the two sisters is told to go.

ὑφηγητοῦ γ' άνευ Hermann preferred ὑφηγητῶν ἄνευ οἱ ὑφηγητοῦ δίχα.

χρῆ ᾿σται is equivalent to a future of χρή. Where I am to find. This form, which occurs also in a fragment of the Triptolemus quoted by the Scholiast on this passage, Fr. 539, is variously explained as a contraction for χρεία ἔσται or for χρὴ ἔσται or χρῆ ἔσται, the form χρή or χρῆ being differently regarded as a primitive indeclinable noun, whence also χρῆν and χρῆναι, or as a contraction of χρεία. Linwood conjectures ἵνα χρῆ ᾿σταί μ' ἐφευρεῖν ταῦτα. But Ismene's perplexity is more simply expressed in the text.

κείται.

τοὐκεῖθεν ἄλσους Sc. ὁ τόπος

ἔποικος A resident, who had charge of the sacred utensils, etc.

οὐδ᾽ εἰ πονῇ τις On the meaning of the subjunctive with εἰ, see Essay on Language § 27. p. 44. For the reading of Par. A, cp. O. T. 317, and v. rr. Ismene having gone to perform the sacred rites, there is a further pause before the arrival of Theseus. 510, foll. The pause is filled by a short lyrical interchange between the several members of the chorus and Oedipus, who is thus brought to make confession while Ismene performs her offering. But his confession is a defence. The chorus, although importunate, are gentler than in the former scene. The opening line is scanned as choriambic, although it may perhaps be questioned whether the Ionic metre, which occurs above in 11. 212 ff., is not more suitable here and in 517. The other metres in the Ist strophe and antistrophe are logaoedic, with one iambic colon (518 = 532); those of the 2nd strophe and antistrophe are mostly iambic. The scheme is the following :clcclcla=alalcc-a (?) 기기 9-

The distribution of the parts amongst the members of the chorus is very uncertain. Most probably the coryphaeus speaks throughout the Ist strophe, and then the others interpose in turn.

δεινὸν μὲν τὸ πάλαι κείμενον ἤδη κακόν, ὦ ξεῖν, ἐπεγείρειν Cp. the proverb, μὴ κινεῖν κακὸν εὐ κείμενον (Plat. Phil. p. 40), and Plat. Legg. 2. 657 E (of the poet's power of recalling the feelings of youth), τοῖς δυναμένοις ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν νεύτητα μνήμῃ ἐπεγείρειν.

The hapless misery which you encountered. arising ing without remedy.' For the genitive (= περὶ τᾶς, κ.τ.λ.), see Essay on Language § 9. p. 13, and cp. El. 317, τοῦ κασιγνήτου τί φής;

ξυνέστας] Cp Hdt. 7. 170, λιμῷ συνεστεῶτας : 8.74, τοιούτῳ πόνῳ συνέστασαν.

πρὸς ξενίας An extension of the common idiom, πρὸς θεῶν, etc. Essay on Language § 19. p. 29, and cp. Aj. 492-493, πρός τ' ἐφεστίου Δίος | εὐνῆς τε τῆς σῆς, ἡ συνηλλάχθης ἐμοί.

τᾶς σᾶς *ἃ πέπονθ᾽ ἀναιδή This conjectural reading. as well as the other which has been proposed, τᾶς σᾶς, πέπον, ἔργ᾿ ἀναιδῆ, has been suggested partly by the metrical difficulty, and party by the fact that the Scholiast appears to have taken ἀναιδή (ἔργα) to be governed by ἀνοίξῃς. Schol. μὴ πρὸς τῆς σῆς ξενίας ἀναπτύξῃς μου τὰ ἀναιδῆ ἔργα. Against πέπον it may be argued (1) that the word occurs nowhere in tragedy, (2) that where it occurs in Homer it is accompanied either by a noun in the vocative, or by the interjection 4, (3) that it is improbable that the first person (represented in the Scholion by μου) should be omitted. The word πέπονθα is in accordance with the spirit of other passages of the play (268, 537), and should be retained. ἃ πέπονθα is substituted for ἔργα, to which ἀναιδῆ is added as an emphatic epithet, My unwitting deeds of shame. Hence ἔργα was naturally inserted as a gloss. Besides the metrical objection to the MS. reading. ἀνοίξῃς requires an object, and the asyndeton takes from the smoothness of the passage without increasing its force.

τό τοι πολὺ.. ἀκοῦσαι I would hear once for all aright what is matter of loud and still undying rumour.

πολύ, i. e. σφόδρα λεγόμενον: cp. 305.

πολὺ γάρ, ὦ γέρον, τὸ σὸν ὄνομα, κ.τ.λ.

μηδαμὰ λήγον Cp. the similar expression, of a report still rife, in O. T. 731, ηὐδᾶτο γὰρ ταῦτ᾽ οὐδέ πω λήξαντ᾿ ἔχει. On the double accusative arising from the cognate use, see Essay on Language p. 25. For ξέν᾽ perhaps ξεῖν᾽, cp. infr. 530.

στέρξον Be content, i. e. μὴ ἀγανακτοῦ ἐρόμενος ταῦτα. It is doubtful whether this line should be altered by adding δ' or γ', reading παῖδες with the MSS. in l. 532, or we should read as in the text. Cp. infr. 1692 and note. For _ _ u u _ _ in a similar passage, see El. 828, 830, 841, 843.

ἤνεγκον κακότατα I was the victim of wretchedness. For the use of φέρω, cp. Ο. Τ. 1320, διπλά σε πενθεῖν καὶ διπλᾶ φέρειν κακά.

ἤνεγκον *ἑκὼν μέν] If this reading is adopted, it must be acknowledged that we have here a trace of the philosophical ἀπορία (already suggested by the Epic oxymoron ἑκὼν ἀέκοντί γε θυμῷ) which is treated at length in Plato (Legg. 860, 867 A) and Aristotle (Eth. N. 3. 1), viz. whether a man acts voluntarily when he is ignorant of the circumstances. See Introd. p. 270. Oedipus must be supposed to mean that in killing Laius and in marrying Jocasta he had acted with a right good will (ср. О. Т. 422-423, τὸν ὑμέναιον ὃν δόμοις | ἄνορμον εἰσέπλευσας, εὐπλοίας τυχών), but that as he acted in ignorance, the actions were not his deliberate choice.

ἄκων is certainly wrong and is due to some reminiscence of l. 694. Cp. Eur. Ι. Τ. 512, τρόπον γε δή τινα οὐχ ἑκὼν ἑκών. The expression is more forcible if, by a slight change. for θεὸς ἴστω, θεὸς ἴστωρ is read, as in the text.

τούτων δ᾽ αὐθαίρετον οὐδέν For the transposition of the dactyl. in the glyconic line, see Christ's Metrik, § 119. P. 94. To avoid it here, ἐθελητόν, ἀκάθαρτον (G. Wolff), have been conjectured.

ἀλλ᾽ ἐς τί But with regard to what? Sc. ἤνεγκες κακότατα. The curiosity of the chorus becomes impatient and peremptory.

κακᾷ μ᾿ εὐνᾷ By an evil nuptial the city all unknowing bound me in a fatal wedlock. μέν has probably ἐν arisen from a gloss ἐν (κακᾷ μ' εὐνᾷ). Others read κακᾷ μ᾿ ἐν εὐνᾷ and alter l. 513. The correction ἴδριν is unnecessary. Oedipus has already proclaimed his own unconsciousness, and there is a certain point in adding that the citizens were equally unconscious of the nature of their gift. Cp. infr. 983, οὐκ εἰδότ᾽ οὐκ εἰδυῖα.

γάμων ἐνέδησεν ἄτᾳ is Homeric. Il.2. 111, Ζεύς με μέγα Κρονίδης ἄτῃ ἐνέδησε βαρείῃ.

Didst thou, as I hear it told. consummate a dishonoured nuptial with thine own mother?' ματρόθεν, i. e. πρὸς ματρός, in that relationship! !' The force of the middle voice in ἐπλήσω is ethical (Essay on Language § 31. p. 52): Didst thou to thy confusion, etc. For πίμπλημι here, cp. Aesch. Pers. 132, λέκτρα δ᾽ ἀνδρῶν πόθῳ πίμπλαται δακρύμασιν.

My children and my curses.' Because sprung from an incestuous marriage. There is no allusion to the sons.

ματρὸς κοινᾶς Of a mother who was also mine. It has been urged in defence of the MS. arrangement of the persons, that the responsive ἰὼ δῆτα is more suitable to the chorus. But in the present instance it belongs to the chorus to utter expressions of horror, and to Oedipus to confirm them. Cp. supr. 532, ὦ Ζεῦ.

This line has been variously altered, but even if the true reading is lost. the general meaning is probably retained. The mistake about the persons has very naturally arisen from the suddenness with which Oedipus takes up the word. This helps to indicate the excitement of the situation.

κοιναί γε γε assents to what the chorus were about to say, which Oedipus emphasises by the words κοιναί γε πατρός. On κοιναί, see Essay on Language p. 95. Own sisters of their own sire.

ἰὼ δῆτα Cp. Εl. 842, ΗΛ.

φεῦ. ΧΟ. φεῦ δῆτ᾽· ὀλοὰ γάρ: Eur. Troad. 1230, ΕΚ. οἴμοι. ΧΟ. οἴμοι δῆτα σῶν ἀλάστων κακῶν.

μυρίων γ᾽ ἐπιστροφαὶ κακῶν Everrenewed onset of unnumbered woes. The image is that of an enemy who harasses an army by returning repeatedly to the attack with fresh forces. Cp. infr. 1045, δαΐων ἀνδρῶν .. ἐπιστροφαί, Αr. Eq 244, ἐπαναστρέφου. For the nominative after the interjection, cp. Tr. 1046-1047, ὦ .. μοχθήσας ἐγώ.

I have suffered woes that will not be forgotten.' ἄλαστα is first governed by ἔπαθον, then ἔχειν is added pleonastically, and ἄλαστα is resumed. Sc. ἔπαθον ἄλαστα, ὥστε ἄλαστα ἔχειν τὰ παθήματα.

I received a gift, which would that I, the much-enduring one, had never so benefited the state as to receive from her the privilege of choosing.' i. e. Would that I had not benefited the state so as to be honoured with the choice gift of Jocasta. In this rendering. which takes the words in a natural order, it is assumed that μή, with the past tenses of the indicative in a relative clause, may express the wish to reverse a fact in past time. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 363-366, μηδ' ὑπὸ κ.τ.λ. .. τέθαψαι. The analogy of the uses of the historical tenses with εἰ, ἄν, ἵνα, ὡς, ὅπως, to express an impossible supposition, inference, motive, or result, is all that can be urged in favour of this, except the comparison of a passage which has generally been thought corrupt, infr. 1713, ἰώ, μὴ γᾶς ἐπὶ ξένας θανεῖν ἔχρηζες. It may be further suggested, that in both these instances the unusual construction is assisted by an echo (or harmonic) of ὤφελον in ἐπωφέλησα, and of ἐχρῆν in ἔχρηζες. If this hypothesis is rejected, we must fall back on Hermann's interpretation of the words: Accepi, inquit Oedipus, donum, uxorem dicens, quod ego ut nunquam a civitate debuerim accipere, ei profui, i. e. quod ut mihi non unquam daret civitas, merui. quum eam a Sphinge liberavi. ταλακάρδιος is a poetical expansion of τάλας: cp. πυκνόπτερος, μελάμφυλλος, etc.

παπαῖ Properly an exclamation of pain; here transferred to mental suffering, in accordance with the metaphor in έπαισας. The punctuation of the line is uncertain, i. e. it is uncertain whether δευτέραν is an epithet of νόσον, οι πληγήν is to be supplied with δεντέραν, and ἐπὶ νόσῳ νόσον is in apposition to the sentence. For ἐπὶ νόσῳ νόσον, cp. Hom. Il. 14.130, μή που τις ἐφ᾽ ἕλκεῖ ἕλκος ἄρηται.

ἔχει.. πρὸς δίκας τι i. e. τὸ ἐμὸν ἔχει τι πρὸς δίκας. My case has some defence, something to be urged on the ground of justice. Cp. Ant. 598, οὐδ᾽ ἔχει λύσιν. Eur. Suppl. 64, ἔχομεν δ᾽ ἔνδικα.

τί γάρ reiterates the expostulation of the chorus. τί γάρ has a different shade of meaning in each of the three lines, 538, 542.546: (1) Why, what then? (2) But what of this? γάρ implying that excuse will not stand. (3) Why, what is that?' 547. The MS. reading ἄλλους is condemned both by sense and metre, but the correction is uncertain. ἁλούς, adopted in the text. may be explained in two ways, (1) ἁλοὺς ἐφόνευσα = ἑάλων φονεύσας, manifesto occidi, I murdered, and was convicted of the murder:' ἁλούς proleptic. Essay on Language § 38. p. 70. Cp. Ο. Τ. 1213. ἐφεῦρέ σ᾽ ἄκονθ᾽ ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν χρόνος. (2) Being overtaken (by destiny) I did commit the murder. The former meaning gives rather a better force to καί, and is on the whole preferable, although the construction of the participle is more natural in the latter interpretation. Porson conjectured ἄνους, (3) being infatuated. but this implies a degree of self-accusation, from which Oedipus in the Oed. Col. is wholly free.

καὶ ὤλεσα The pleonastic expression has the solemnity of a legal indictment. Oedipus, while pleading innocence of intention, will not soften the actual crime.

νόμῳ δὲ καθαρός The construction of these words is absorbed in the remaining clause. The word καθαρός was specially applicable to one who had been acquitted of the crime of homicide. Cp. Plato, Rep. 5. 451 Β, ἀλλὰ μέντοι, εἶπον, καθαρός γε καὶ ἐκεῖ ὁ ἀφεθείς, ὡς ὁ νόμος λέγει: Legg. 9. 865 Β, ἰατρῶν δὲ περὶ πάντων, ἂν ὁ θεραπευόμενος ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἀκόντων τελευτᾷ, καθαρὸς ἔστω κατὰ νόμον. ὡς ὁ νόμος λέγει and κατὰ νόμον in these passages answer to νόμῳ here. Essay on Language § 14. p. 20.

κατ᾿ ὀμφὴν σὴν *ἀποσταλείς Brought by thy voice, i. e. by the message sent at the request of Oedipus (1.70). The word ὀμφή has sacred associations, and is used in this play, supr. 102, of Apollo; infr. 1351, of Oedipus again: not elsewhere by Sophocles.

ἀποσταλείς, the reading of Turnebus, is nearer to the indications of our present MSS. than any other correction, and gives a better sense than ὃς ἐστάλη οι ἐφ᾽ ἁστάλη. See where our lord Theseus, Aegeus son, hath set forth at thy word, and is now come.' 551. The words from ἔν τε to διαφθοράς are introduced by an afterthought, and modify the rest of the sentence. Cp. Phil. 1411, foll., αὐδὴν τὴν Ἡρακλέους ἀκοῇ τε κλύειν λεύσσειν τ᾽ ὄψιν. See Essay on Language p. 65 f. VOL. I. Z

ὁδοῖς ἐν ταῖσδε In thy present coming. Cp. Εl. 68, δέξασθέ μ᾽ εὐτυχοῦντα ταῖσδε ταῖς ὁδοῖς.

σκευή Thine apparel: which, though travel-stained, is that of a noble Theban.

ὃς εἰ A pronominal expression to avoid the repetition of the name. Ср. О. Т. 1036, ὥστ᾽ ὠνομάσθης ἐκ τύχης ταύτης ὃς εἶ.

καί σ᾽ οἰκτίσας, κ.τ.λ. With a native generosity which Oedipus fully acknowledges (infr. 570), Theseus is ready to protect Oedipus, although not ignorant of the nature of his misfortunes (supr. 305 ff., 551 ff.). But he imagines himself to be conferring a favour, and knows not that the blind wayfarer has more to give than to receive. Once more, therefore, we have a fine contrast between the real and the apparent situation.

θέλω *' περέσθαι This correction of the Laurentian reading (=τὶ) is more probable than the reading of B, in which o' is awkwardly repeated. For the aphaeresis, cp. Phil. 592, λέγω. 'πὶ τοῦτον, κ.τ.λ.

δεινήν, κ.τ.λ. Either (r1) 'For that were a hard task indeed from which, on your mentioning it, I should recoil.' Or (2) For that would be a terrible fortune, of which the mention would make me shrink from giving relief. The latter rendering gives a more natural meaning to πρᾶξις (cp. Hdt. 3. 65, ἀπέκλαιε πᾶσαν τὴν ἑωυτοῦ πρήξιν), and is more in accordance with what follows (ὑπεκτραποίμην, κ.τ.λ.). And the usual question addressed to suppliants is, What is your misfortune? rather than, What would you have us do?' For the sentiment, cp. Eur. Suppl. 339. 40, (Θησ.) ὡς τοῖς ἐμοῖσιν οὐχὶ πρόσφορον τρόποις | φεύγειν τὰ δεινά. For the emphatic use of the adj., see Essay on Language p. 80.

ὡς οἶδά γ᾽ αὐτός Yes, for I know, that I myself was brought up a stranger, as thou art now. Theseus was reared by his grandfather Pittheus at Troezen.

χώς τις πλεῖστ᾽ ἀνήρ i. e. καὶ ὥς τις ἀνὴρ πλεῖστα (sc. ἤθλησεν). Ι have laboured, as any one hath laboured most:' i. e. as much as any one (ut qui plurima). The more usual expression would be ὅσα τις πλεῖστα.

ἤθλησα κινδυνεύματα Cognate accusative.

ἐν τὠμῷ κάρᾳ In my own person : i. e. they were dangers to my own life which I met by my own exertions, referring to the adventure with Sciron, etc. For ev, cp. the expression, ἐν τῷ Καρὶ ὑμῖν ὁ κίνδυνοos, Plat. Lach. 187 B.

ὥσπερ σὺ νῦν For the nominative, cp. Aj. 525, ἔχειν σ᾽ ἂν οἶκτον ὡς κἀγώ: Il. 6.477, γενέσθαι | παῖδ᾽ ἐμόν, ὡς καὶ ἐγώ περ.

σοῦ Essay on Language p. 13, 4 a.

Theseus, your nobleness in brief speech hath spared me the necessity of saying much.' Either (1) βραχέα is the subject of δεῖσθαι, or (2) the object of φράσαι, the subject of δεῖσθαι being τὸ πρᾶγμα. The object of παρῆκεν is absorbed in the following clause. Cp. Eur. Fr. 310, πάρες .. ὑπερβῶαι . . νάπη. For δέομαι passive, cp. Hdt. 4. 11, ὡς ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι πρήγμα εἴη, μηδὲ πρὸς πολλοὺς δεόμενον κινδυνεύειν. Essay on Language § 31. p. 54. δεῖται in Plat. Meno, 79 C, although impersonal (sc. τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ ὁ λόγος), is middle voice and not passive as here.

καὶ γῆς ὁποίας ἦλθον This was implied in σκευή, l. 555 .

χώ λόγος διέρχεται ‘And our conference draws to an end." This is the reading of the best MSS. διοίχεται, which is much commoner in this sense (cp. e. g. Eur. Suppl. 530), is given as a various reading in Par. A, and appears in the text of two other MSS. διέρχε ται is best supported by comparing Dem. 541. 22, πάντα δ᾽ ἤδη διεξεληλύθει, and Plat. Rep. 6. 484 Α, διὰ μακροῦ τινος διεξελθόντος λόγου.

τὰ δὲ .. καλή But the gain to be obtained from it is better than beauty. Cp. Eur. Fr. 552, νοῦν χρὴ θεᾶσθαι, *νοῦν· τί τῆς εὐμορφίας | ὄφελος, ὅταν μὴ τὰς φρένας καλὰς ἔχῃ; 580-581. For the datives, see Essay on Language § 11. p. 18.

ἡ σὴ προσφορά 'The advantage which you bring.

τὰ δ᾽ ἐν μέσῳ, κ.τ.λ. The construction is defined (with ποιεῖ) as the sentence proceeds. For the irregular accusative, see Essay on Language § 15. p. 22.

ἐνταῦθα γάρ μοι κεῖνα συγκομίζεται For in this favour those other offices are comprised; i. e. To assure him burial by the hand of Theseus was to assure him protection from the attempt of Creon.

(1) You have indeed summed up your request in one short word. Or (2) This favour which you ask consists in a little thing:' in re levi positam gratiam. Ellendt. For (1) cp. Εl. 673, ἐν βραχεῖ ξυνθεὶς λέγω.

Yet be advised; this is no trifling matter.' ἁγὼν ὅδε, the struggle or endeavour or peril implied in granting the request.

πότερα τὰ τῶν σῶν ἐκγόνων, ἢ μοῦ λέγεις;] In saying this, are you speaking of what relates to your sons, or of something that relates to me?' Theseus is bewildered by the words of Oedipus. Hearing of a contest in connection with the death of Oedipus, he naturally thinks of the impending conflict at Thebes, of which he cannot but have heard something. But, as he afterwards says more explicitly, he does not Z2 see how he is to be involved in this. Cp. Phil. 1384, λέγεις δ' Ἀτρείδαις ὄφελος, ἢ ἐπ᾿ ἐμοὶ τόδε;

ἀναγκάζουσι If this is the right reading, which, from the frequent confusion of and o, is not quite certain (cp. 603), the present is used with future meaning, as in Aesch. Prom. 513, ὧδε δεσμὰ φυγγάνω: ib. 525, δεσμοὺς ἀεικεῖς καὶ δύας ἐκφυγγάνω. Cp. Phil. 1379, κἀποσώζοντας νόσου. The subject of κομίζειν (sc. τινά, cp. infr. 933) is to be gathered from the context. They will enforce my being taken thither;' i. e. They will force the consent of Theseus and the Athenians to this. Universe eos intelligit, qui tradendi Oedipi potestatem habeant. Herm. Another rendering has been proposed - They will use compulsion against me to carry me back thither.' But such a use of ἀναγκάζω with the infinitive is inadmissible.

εἰ θέλοντ᾿ ἄν γ᾽, οὐδὲ σοὶ φεύγειν καλόν] The reading of this line is very doubtful, but that of L is as probable as any other. There would seem to be an ellipse of some such words as βούλοιντο κομίζειν or the like. But if they chose to fetch you in case of your being willing to go, then on your part it would not be becoming to remain in banishment.' Cp. Od. 15. 280, οὐ μὲν δή σ' ἐθέλοντά γ᾽ ἀπώσω νηὸς έΐσης. Hes. Op. D. 355. For the ellipse with el, see Essay on Language § 28. p. 47; and cp. Αj. 886, εἴ ποθι πλαζόμενον λεύσσων: Pind. Ol. 2. 56, εἰ δέ νιν ἔχων τις ? And, for av with the present participle, infra 761, κἀπὸ παντὸς ἂν φέρων, κ.τ.λ. Reisig's emendation θέλοντάς γ', But (consider) whether it be not unbecoming in you to be exiled from them desiring to have you back again, although not convincing, deserves consideration.

ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽, ὅτ᾽ αὐτὸς ἤθελον, παρίεσαν This line, at first sight, rather favours the emendation θέλοντάς γ' in 590. But αὐτός = of my own accord, may distinguish between mere willingness and the spontaneous wish, and the same word has not necessarily the same reference even in two consecutive lines. Cp. supr. 71, μόλοι and note.

But then, foolish man, anger in calamity is hurtful.'

ὅταν μάθῃς μου • When you have learnt the nature of the case from me.'

ἄνευ γνώμης Without consideration.

γένους Of your birth, rather than Of your race.

τί.. νοσεῖς; What is this greater than human misery at which you hint?

μεῖζον ἢ κατ᾿ ἄνθρωπον, because greater than the extreme calamities which had previously befallen him.

Oedipus at Colonus. Lewis Campbell. ed. Lewis Campbell. Oxford. 1879.

Current edition Experimental

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (English) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879))

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Editions (2)

Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) — 461 focus

ἐπάξιος μέν, Οἰδίπους, κατοικτίσαι,

αὐτός τε παῖδές θʼ αἵδʼ· ἐπεὶ δὲ τῆσδε γῆς

σωτῆρα σαυτὸν τῷδʼ ἐπεμβάλλεις λόγῳ,

παραινέσαι σοι βούλομαι τὰ σύμφορα.

Οἰδίπους

ὦ φίλταθʼ, ὥς νυν πᾶν τελοῦντι προξένει.
465

Χορός

θοῦ νυν καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων, ἐφʼ ἃς

[102 b.

τὸ πρῶτον ἵκου καὶ κατέστειψας πέδον.

Οἰδίπους

τρόποισι ποίοις; ὦ ξένοι, διδάσκετε.

Χορός

πρῶτον μὲν ἱερὰς ἐξ ἀειρύτου χοὰς

κρήνης ἐνεγκοῦ, διʼ ὁσίων χειρῶν θιγών.
470

Οἰδίπους

ὅταν δὲ τοῦτο χεῦμʼ ἀκήρατον λάβω;

Χορός

κρατῆρές εἰσιν, ἀνδρὸς εὔχειρος τέχνη,

ὧν κρᾶτʼ ἔρεψον καὶ λαβὰς ἀμφιστόμους.

Οἰδίπους

θαλλοῖσιν, ἢ κρόκαισιν, ἢ ποίῳ τρόπῳ;

Χορός

οἰός γε νεαρᾶς εὐπόκῳ μαλλῷ λαβών.
475

Οἰδίπους

εἶεν· τὸ δʼ ἔνθεν ποῖ τελευτῆσαί με χρή;

Χορός

χοὰς χέασθαι στάντα πρὸς πρώτην ἕω.

Οἰδίπους

ἦ τοῖσδε κρωσσοῖς οἷς λέγεις χέω τάδε;

Χορός

τρισσάς γε πηγάς· τὸν τελευταῖον δʼ ὅλον.

Οἰδίπους

τοῦ τόνδε πλήσας θῶ; δίδασκε καὶ τόδε.
480

Χορός

ὕδατος, μελίσσης· μηδὲ προσφέρειν μέθυ.

Οἰδίπους

ὅταν δὲ τούτων γῆ μελάμφυλλος τύχῃ;

Χορός

τρὶς ἐννέʼ αὐτῇ κλῶνας ἐξ ἀμφοῖν χεροῖν

τιθεὶς ἐλαίας τάσδʼ ἐπεύχεσθαι λιτάς.

Οἰδίπους

τούτων ἀκοῦσαι βούλομαι· μέγιστα γάρ.
485

Χορός

ὥς σφας καλοῦμεν Εὐμενίδας, ἐξ εὐμενῶν

στέρνων δέχεσθαι τὸν ἱκέτην σωτήριον

αὐτοῦ σύ γʼ, αὐτὸς κεἴ τις ἄλλος ἀντὶ σοῦ,

ἄπυστα φωνῶν μηδὲ μηκύνων βοήν·

ἔπειτʼ ἀφέρπειν ἄστροφος. καὶ ταῦτά σοι
490

δράσαντι θαρσῶν ἂν παρασταίην ἐγώ,

ἄλλως δὲ δειμαίνοιμʼ ἄν, ὦ ξένʼ, ἀμφὶ σοί.

Οἰδίπους

ὦ παῖδε, κλύετον τῶνδε προσχώρων ξένων ;

Ἀντιγόνη

ἠκούσαμέν τε χὤ τι δεῖ πρόστασσε δρᾶν.

Οἰδίπους

ἐμοὶ μὲν οὐχ ὁδωτά· λείπομαι γὰρ ἐν
495

τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι μήθʼ ὁρᾶν, δυοῖν κακοῖν·

σφῷν δʼ ἁτέρα μολοῦσα πραξάτω τάδε.

ἀρκεῖν γὰρ οἶμαι κἀντὶ μυρίων μίαν

ψυχὴν τάδʼ * ἐκτίνουσαν, ἢν εὔνους παρῇ.

ἀλλʼ ἐν τάχει τι πράσσετον· μόνον δέ με
500

μὴ λείπετʼ. οὐ γὰρ ἂν σθένοι τοὐμὸν δέμας

ἔρημον ἕρπειν οὐδʼ ὑφηγητοῦ γʼ ἄνευ.

Ἰσμήνη

ἀλλʼ εἶμʼ ἐγὼ τελοῦσα· τὸν τόπον δʼ ἵνα

χρῆ ʼσται μʼ ἐφευρεῖν, τοῦτο βούλομαι μαθεῖν.

Χορός

τοὐκεῖθεν ἄλσους, ὦ ξένη, τοῦδʼ. ἢν δέ του
505

σπάνιν τινʼ ἴσχῃς, ἔστʼ ἔποικος, ὃς φράσει.

Ἰσμήνη

χωροῖμʼ ἂν ἐς τόδʼ. Ἀντιγόνη, σὺ δʼ ἐνθάδε

φύλασσε πατέρα τόνδε· τοῖς τεκοῦσι γὰρ

οὐδʼ εἰ πονῇ τις, δεῖ πόνου μνήμην ἔχειν.

Χορός
α

δεινὸν μὲν τὸ πάλαι κείμενον ἤδη κακόν, ὦ ξεῖνʼ, ἐπεγείρειν·
510

ὅμως δʼ ἔραμαι πυθέσθαι

Οἰδίπους

τί τοῦτο;

Χορός

τᾶς δειλαίας ἀπόρου φανείσας

ἀλγηδόνος, ᾇ ξυνέστας.

Οἰδίπους

μὴ πρὸς ξενίας ἀνοίξῃς
515

τᾶς σᾶς *ἃ πέπονθʼ ἀναιδῆ.

Χορός

τό τοι πολὺ καὶ μηδαμὰ λῆγον

χρῄζω, ξέν, ὀρθὸν ἄκουσμʼ ἀκοῦσαι.

Οἰδίπους

ὤμοι.

Χορός

στέρξον, ἱκετεύω.

Οἰδίπους

φεῦ φεῦ.

Χορός

πείθου· κἀγὼ γὰρ ὅσον σὺ προσχρῄζεις.
520

Οἰδίπους
α

ἤνεγκον κακότατʼ, ὦ ξένοι, ἤνεγκον * ἑκὼν μέν, θεὸς

ἴστωρ,

τούτων δʼ αὐθαίρετον οὐδέν.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἐς τί;

Οἰδίπους

κακᾷ μʼ εὐνᾷ πόλις οὐδὲν ἴδρις
525

γάμων ἐνέδησεν ἄτᾳ.

Χορός

ἦ ματρόθεν, ὡς ἀκούω,

δυσώνυμα λέκτρʼ ἐπλήσω;

Οἰδίπους

ὤμοι, θάνατος μὲν τάδʼ ἀκούειν,

ὦ ξεῖνʼ· αὗται δὲ δύʼ ἐξ ἐμοῦ * μὲν
530

Χορός

πῶς φῄς;

Οἰδίπους

*παῖδε, δύο δʼ ἄτα

Χορός

ὦ Ζεῦ.

Οἰδίπους

ματρὸς κοινᾶς ἀπέβλαστον ὠδῖνος.

Χορός

* αἵδʼ εἴσʼ ἄρʼ ἀπόγονοί τε καὶ

Οἰδίπους

κοιναί γε πατρὸς ἀδελφεαί.
535

Χορός

ἰώ.

Οἰδίπους

ἰὼ δῆτα μυρίων γʼ ἐπιστροφαὶ κακῶν.

Χορός

ἔπαθες

Οἰδίπους

ἔπαθον ἄλαστʼ ἔχειν.

Χορός

ἔρεξας

Οἰδίπους

οὐκ ἔρεξα.

Χορός

τί γάρ;

Οἰδίπους

ἐδεξάμην

δῶρον, ὃ μήποτʼ ἐγὼ ταλακάρδιος
540

ἐπωφέλησα πόλεος ἐξελέσθαι.

Χορός
β

δύστανε, τί γάρ; ἔθου φόνον

Οἰδίπους

τί τοῦτο; τί δʼ ἐθέλεις μαθεῖν;

Χορός

πατρός;

Οἰδίπους

παπαῖ, δευτέραν ἔπαισας, ἐπὶ νόσῳ νόσον.

Χορός

ἔκανες
545

Οἰδίπους

ἔκανον. ἔχει δέ μοι

[103 b.

Χορός

τί τοῦτο;

Οἰδίπους

πρὸς δίκας τι.

Χορός

τί γάρ;

Οἰδίπους

ἐγὼ φράσω.

καὶ γὰρ ἁλοὺς ἐφόνευσα καὶ ὤλεσα·

νόμῳ δὲ καθαρός, ἄϊδρις ἐς τόδʼ ἦλθον.

Χορός

καὶ μὴν ἄναξ ὅδʼ ἡμὶν Αἰγέως γόνος

Θησεὺς κατʼ ὀμφὴν σὴν * ἀποσταλεὶς πάρα.
550

Θησεύς

πολλῶν ἀκούων ἔν τε τῷ πάρος χρόνῳ

τὰς αἱματηρὰς ὀμμάτων διαφθορὰς

ἔγνωκά σʼ, ὦ παῖ Λαΐου, τανῦν θʼ ὁδοῖς

ἐν ταῖσδʼ ἀκούων μᾶλλον ἐξεπίσταμαι.

σκευή τε γάρ σε καὶ τὸ δύστηνον κάρα
555

δηλοῦτον ἡμῖν ὄνθʼ ὃς εἶ, καί σʼ οἰκτίσας

θέλω ʼπερέσθαι, δύσμορʼ Οἰδίπου, τίνα

πόλεως ἐπέστης προστροπὴν ἐμοῦ τʼ ἔχων,

αὐτός τε χἠ σὴ δύσμορος παραστάτις.

δίδασκε· δεινὴν γάρ τινʼ ἂν πρᾶξιν τύχοις
560

λέξας ὁποίας ἐξαφισταίμην ἐγώ,

ὡς οἶδά γʼ αὐτὸς ὡς ἐπαιδεύθην ξένος,

ὥσπερ σύ, χὥς τις πλεῖστʼ ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ ξένης

ἤθλησα κινδυνεύματʼ ἐν τὠμῷ κάρᾳ,

ὥστε ξένον γʼ *ἂν οὐδέν ὄνθʼ, ὥσπερ σὺ νῦν,
565

ὑπεκτραποίμην μὴ οὐ συνεκσώζειν· ἐπεὶ

ἔξοιδʼ ἀνὴρ ὢν χὤτι τῆς ἐς αὔριον

οὐδὲν πλέον μοι σοῦ μέτεστιν ἡμέρας.

Οἰδίπους

Θησεῦ, τὸ σὸν γενναῖον ἐν σμικρῷ λόγῳ

παρῆκεν ὥστε βραχέʼ ἐμοὶ δεῖσθαι φράσαι.
570

σὺ γάρ μʼ ὅς εἰμι, κἀφʼ ὅτου πατρὸς γεγώς,

καὶ γῆς ὁποίας ἦλθον, εἰρηκὼς κυρεῖς·

ὥστʼ ἐστί μοι τὸ λοιπὸν οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν

εἰπεῖν ἃ χρῄζω, χώ λόγος διέρχεται.

Θησεύς

τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ νῦν δίδασχʼ, ὅπως ἂν ἐκμάθω.
575

Οἰδίπους

δώσων ἱκάνω τοὐμὸν ἄθλιον δέμας

σοὶ δῶρον, οὐ σπουδαῖον εἰς ὄψιν· τὰ δὲ

κέρδη παρʼ αὐτοῦ κρείσσονʼ ἢ μορφὴ καλή.

Θησεύς

ποῖον δὲ κέρδος ἀξιοῖς ἥκειν φέρων ;

Οἰδίπους

χρόνῳ μάθοις ἄν, οὐχὶ τῷ παρόντι που.
580

Θησεύς

ποίῳ γὰρ ἡ σὴ προσφορὰ δηλώσεται;

Οἰδίπους

ὅταν θάνω ἐγὼ καὶ σύ μου ταφεὺς γένῃ.

Θησεύς

τὰ λοῖσθʼ ἄρʼ αἰτεῖ τοῦ βίου, τὰ δʼ ἐν μέσῳ

ἢ λῆστιν ἴσχεις ἢ διʼ οὐδενὸς ποιεῖ.

Οἰδίπους

ἐνταῦθα γάρ μοι κεῖνα συγκομίζεται.
585

Θησεύς

ἀλλʼ ἐν βραχεῖ δὴ τήνδε μʼ ἐξαιτεῖ χάριν.

Οἰδίπους

ὅρα γε μήν· οὐ σμικρός, οὔχ, ἁγὼν ὅδε.

Θησεύς

πότερα τὰ τῶν σῶν ἐκγόνων, ἢ ʼμοῦ λέγεις ;

Οἰδίπους

κεῖνοι κομίζειν κεῖσʼ ἀναγκάζουσί με.

Θησεύς

ἀλλʼ εἰ θέλοντʼ ἄν γʼ, οὐδὲ σοὶ φεύγειν καλόν.
590
[104 a.

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ, ὅτʼ αὐτὸς ἤθελον, παρίεσαν.

Θησεύς

ὦ μῶρε, θυμὸς δʼ ἐν κακοῖς οὐ ξύμφορον.

Οἰδίπους

ὅταν μάθῃς μου, νουθέτει, τανῦν δʼ ἔα.

Θησεύς

δίδασκʼ. ἄνευ γνώμης γὰρ οὔ με χρὴ λέγειν.

Οἰδίπους

πέπονθα, Θησεῦ, δεινὰ πρὸς κακοῖς κακά.
595

Θησεύς

ἦ τὴν παλαιὰν ξυμφορὰν γένους ἐρεῖς;

Οἰδίπους

οὐ δῆτʼ· ἐπεὶ πᾶς τοῦτό γʼ ῾Ελλήνων θροεῖ.

Θησεύς

τί γὰρ τὸ μεῖζον ἢ κατʼ ἄνθρωπον νοσεῖς;

Οἰδίπους

οὕτως ἔχει μοι. γῆς ἐμῆς ἀπηλάθην

πρὸς τῶν ἐμαυτοῦ σπερμάτων· ἔστιν δέ μοι
600

πάλιν κατελθεῖν μήποθʼ, ὡς πατροκτόνῳ.

Θησεύς

πῶς δῆτά σʼ ἂν πεμψαίαθʼ, ὥστʼ οἰκεῖν δίχα;

Οἰδίπους

τὸ θεῖον αὐτοὺς ἐξαναγκάσει στόμα.

Θησεύς

ποῖον πάθος δείσαντας ἐκ χρηστηρίων;

Οἰδίπους

ὅτι σφʼ ἀνάγκη τῇδε πληγῆναι χθονί.
605

Θησεύς

καὶ πῶς γένοιτʼ ἂν τἀμὰ κἀκείνων πικρά;

Οἰδίπους

Greek (F. Storr, 1912) (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek (F. Storr, 1912)) — 510-548 focus

Χορός

δεινὸν μὲν τὸ πάλαι κείμενον ἤδη κακόν, ὦ ξεῖνʼ, ἐπεγείρειν·
510

ὅμως δʼ ἔραμαι πυθέσθαι

Οἰδίπους

τί τοῦτο;

Χορός

τᾶς δειλαίας ἀπόρου φανείσας

ἀλγηδόνος, ᾇ ξυνέστας.

Οἰδίπους

μὴ πρὸς ξενίας ἀνοίξῃς
515

τᾶς σᾶς ἃ πέπονθʼ ἀναιδῆ.

Χορός

τό τοι πολὺ καὶ μηδαμὰ λῆγον

χρῄζω, ξεῖνʼ, ὀρθὸν ἄκουσμʼ ἀκοῦσαι.

Οἰδίπους

ὤμοι.

Χορός

στέρξον, ἱκετεύω.

Οἰδίπους

φεῦ φεῦ.

Χορός

πείθου· κἀγὼ γὰρ ὅσον σὺ προσχρῄζεις.
520

521

Οἰδίπους

ἤνεγκʼ οὖν κακότατʼ, ὦ ξένοι, ἤνεγκʼ ἀέκων μέν,

θεὸς ἴστω,

τούτων δʼ αὐθαίρετον οὐδέν.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἐς τί;

Οἰδίπους

κακᾷ μʼ εὐνᾷ πόλις οὐδὲν ἴδριν
525

γάμων ἐνέδησεν ἄτᾳ.

Χορός

ἦ ματρόθεν, ὡς ἀκούω,

δυσώνυμα λέκτρʼ ἐπλήσω;

Οἰδίπους

ὤμοι θάνατος μὲν τάδʼ ἀκούειν,

ὦ ξεῖνʼ· αὗται δὲ δύʼ ἐξ ἐμοῦ μὲν
530

Χορός

πῶς φῄς;

Οἰδίπους

παῖδε, δύο δʼ ἄτα

Χορός

ὦ Ζεῦ.

Οἰδίπους

ματρὸς κοινᾶς ἀπέβλαστον ὠδῖνος.

535

Χορός

σαί τʼ εἴσʼ ἄρʼ ἀπόγονοί τε καὶ
535

Οἰδίπους

κοιναί γε πατρὸς ἀδελφεαί.

Χορός

ἰώ.

Οἰδίπους

ἰὼ δῆτα μυρίων γʼ ἐπιστροφαὶ κακῶν.

Χορός

ἔπαθες

Οἰδίπους

ἔπαθον ἄλαστʼ ἔχειν.

Χορός

ἔρεξας

Οἰδίπους

οὐκ ἔρεξα.

Χορός

τί γάρ;

Οἰδίπους

ἐδεξάμην

δῶρον, ὃ μήποτʼ ἐγὼ ταλακάρδιος
540

ἐπωφέλησας πόλεος ἐξελέσθαι.

542

Χορός

δύστανε, τί γάρ; ἔθου φόνον

Οἰδίπους

τί τοῦτο; τί δʼ ἐθέλεις μαθεῖν;

Χορός

πατρός;

Οἰδίπους

παπαῖ. δευτέραν ἔπαισας, ἐπὶ νόσῳ νόσον,

Χορός

ἔκανες
545

Οἰδίπους

ἔκανον. ἔχει δέ μοι

Χορός

τί τοῦτο;

Οἰδίπους

πρὸς δίκας τι.

Χορός

τί γάρ;

Οἰδίπους

ἐγὼ φράσω.

καὶ γὰρ ἄν, οὓς ἐφόνευσʼ, ἔμʼ ἀπώλεσαν·

νόμῳ δὲ καθαρός, ἄϊδρις εἰς τόδʼ ἦλθον.

Χορός

καὶ μὴν ἄναξ ὅδʼ ἡμὶν Αἰγέως γόνος

Θησεὺς κατʼ ὀμφὴν σὴν ἐφʼ ἁστάλη πάρα.
550

Θησεύς

πολλῶν ἀκούων ἔν τε τῷ πάρος χρόνῳ

τὰς αἱματηρὰς ὀμμάτων διαφθορὰς

ἔγνωκά σʼ, ὦ παῖ Λαΐου, τανῦν θʼ ὁδοῖς

ἐν ταῖσδʼ ἀκούων μᾶλλον ἐξεπίσταμαι.

σκευή τε γάρ σε καὶ τὸ δύστηνον κάρα
555

δηλοῦτον ἡμῖν ὄνθʼ ὃς εἶ, καί σʼ οἰκτίσας

θέλω ʼπερέσθαι, δύσμορʼ Οἰδίπους, τίνα

πόλεως ἐπέστης προστροπὴν ἐμοῦ τʼ ἔχων,

αὐτός τε χἠ σὴ δύσμορος παραστάτις.

δίδασκε· δεινὴν γάρ τινʼ ἂν πρᾶξιν τύχοις
560

λέξας ὁποίας ἐξαφισταίμην ἐγώ,

ὃς οἶδα καὐτὸς ὡς ἐπαιδεύθην ξένος,

ὥσπερ σύ, χὢς εἷς πλεῖστʼ ἀνὴρ ἐπὶ ξένης

ἤθλησα κινδυνεύματʼ ἐν τὠμῷ κάρᾳ·

ὥστε ξένον γʼ ἂν οὐδένʼ ὄνθʼ, ὥσπερ σὺ νῦν,
565

ὑπεκτραποίμην μὴ οὐ συνεκσῴζειν· ἐπεὶ

ἔξοιδʼ ἀνὴρ ὢν χὤτι τῆς εἰς αὔριον

οὐδὲν πλέον μοι σοῦ μέτεστιν ἡμέρας.

Οἰδίπους

Θησεῦ, τὸ σὸν γενναῖον ἐν σμικρῷ λόγῳ

παρῆκεν, ὥστε βραχέα μοι δεῖσθαι φράσαι.
570

σὺ γάρ μʼ ὅς εἰμι κἀφʼ ὅτου πατρὸς γεγὼς

καὶ γῆς ὁποίας ἦλθον, εἰρηκὼς κυρεῖς·

ὥστʼ ἐστί μοι τὸ λοιπὸν οὐδὲν ἄλλο πλὴν

εἰπεῖν ἃ χρῄζω, χὠ λόγος διοίχεται.

Θησεύς

τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ νῦν δίδασχʼ, ὅπως ἂν ἐκμάθω.
575

Οἰδίπους

δώσων ἱκάνω τοὐμὸν ἄθλιον δέμας

σοὶ δῶρον, οὐ σπουδαῖον εἰς ὄψιν· τὰ δὲ

κέρδη παρʼ αὐτοῦ κρείσσονʼ ἢ μορφὴ καλή.

579

Θησεύς

ποῖον δὲ κέρδος ἀξιοῖς ἥκειν φέρων;

Οἰδίπους

χρόνῳ μάθοις ἄν, οὐχὶ τῷ παρόντι που.
580

Θησεύς

ποίῳ γὰρ ἡ σὴ προσφορὰ δηλώσεται;

Οἰδίπους

ὅταν θάνω ʼγὼ καὶ σύ μου ταφεὺς γένῃ

Θησεύς

τὰ λοίσθιʼ αἰτεῖ τοῦ βίου, τὰ δʼ ἐν μέσῳ

ἢ λῆστιν ἴσχεις ἢ διʼ οὐδενὸς ποεῖ.

Οἰδίπους

ἐνταῦθα γάρ μοι κεῖνα συγκομίζεται.
585

Θησεύς

ἀλλʼ ἐν βραχεῖ δὴ τήνδε μʼ ἐξαιτεῖ χάριν.

Οἰδίπους

ὅρα γε μήν· οὐ σμικρός, οὔχ, ἁγὼν ὅδε.

Θησεύς

πότερα τὰ τῶν σῶν ἐκγόνων κἀμοῦ λέγεις;—

Οἰδίπους

κεῖνοι κομίζειν κεῖσʼ ἄναξ, χρῄζουσί με.

Θησεύς

ἀλλʼ εἰ θέλοντά γʼ οὐδὲ σοὶ φεύγειν καλόν.
590

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ, ὅτʼ αὐτὸς ἤθελον, παρίεσαν.

Θησεύς

ὦ μῶρε, θυμὸς δʼ ἐν κακοῖς οὐ ξύμφορον.

Οἰδίπους

ὅταν μάθῃς μου, νουθέτει, τανῦν δʼ ἔα.

Θησεύς

δίδασκʼ· ἄνευ γνώμης γὰρ οὔ με χρὴ λέγειν.

Οἰδίπους

πέπονθα, Θησεῦ, δεινὰ πρὸς κακοῖς κακά.
595

Θησεύς

ἦ τὴν παλαιὰν ξυμφορὰν γένους ἐρεῖς;

Οἰδίπους

οὐ δῆτʼ, ἐπεὶ πᾶς τοῦτό γʼ Ἑλλήνων θροεῖ.

Θησεύς

τί γὰρ τὸ μεῖζον ἢ κατʼ ἄνθρωπον νοσεῖς;

Οἰδίπους

οὕτως ἔχει μοι. γῆς ἐμῆς ἀπηλάθην

πρὸς τῶν ἐμαυτοῦ σπερμάτων· ἔστιν δέ μοι
600

πάλιν κατελθεῖν μήποθʼ, ὡς πατροκτόνῳ.

Θησεύς

πῶς δῆτα σʼ ἂν πεμψαίαθʼ, ὥστʼ οἰκεῖν δίχα;

Οἰδίπους

τὸ θεῖον αὐτοὺς ἐξαναγκάσει στόμα.

Θησεύς

ποῖον πάθος δείσαντας ἐκ χρηστηρίων;

Οἰδίπους

ὅτι σφʼ ἀνάγκη τῇδε πληγῆναι χθονί.
605

Θησεύς

καὶ πῶς γένοιτʼ ἂν τἀμὰ κἀκείνων πικρά;

607

Οἰδίπους

ὦ φίλτατʼ Αἰγέως παῖ, μόνοις οὐ γίγνεται

θεοῖσι γῆρας οὐδὲ κατθανεῖν ποτε.

τὰ δʼ ἄλλα συγχεῖ πάνθʼ ὁ παγκρατὴς χρόνος.

φθίνει μὲν ἰσχὺς γῆς, φθίνει δὲ σώματος,
610

θνῄσκει δὲ πίστις, βλαστάνει δʼ ἀπιστία,

καὶ πνεῦμα ταὐτὸν οὔποτʼ οὔτʼ ἐν ἀνδράσιν

φίλοις βέβηκεν οὔτε πρὸς πόλιν πόλει.

τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἤδη, τοῖς δʼ ἐν ὑστέρῳ χρόνῳ

τὰ τερπνὰ πικρὰ γίγνεται καὖθις φίλα.
615

καὶ ταῖσι Θήβαις εἰ τανῦν εὐημερεῖ

καλῶς τὰ πρὸς σέ, μυρίας ὁ μυρίος

χρόνος τεκνοῦται νύκτας ἡμέρας τʼ ἰών,

ἐν αἷς τὰ νῦν ξύμφωνα δεξιώματα

δόρει διασκεδῶσιν ἐκ σμικροῦ λόγου·
620

ἵνʼ οὑμὸς εὕδων καὶ κεκρυμμένος νέκυς

ψυχρός ποτʼ αὐτῶν θερμὸν αἷμα πίεται,

εἰ Ζεὺς ἔτι Ζεὺς χὠ Διὸς Φοῖβος σαφής.

ἀλλʼ οὐ γὰρ αὐδᾶν ἡδὺ τἀκίνητʼ ἔπη,

ἔα μʼ ἐν οἷσιν ἠρξάμην, τὸ σὸν μόνον
625

πιστὸν φυλάσσων, κοὔποτʼ Οἰδίπουν ἐρεῖς

ἀχρεῖον οἰκητῆρα δέξασθαι τόπων

τῶν ἐνθάδʼ, εἴπερ μὴ θεοὶ ψεύσουσί με.

Χορός

ἄναξ, πάλαι καὶ ταῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτʼ ἔπη

γῇ τῇδʼ ὅδʼ ἁνὴρ ὡς τελῶν ἐφαίνετο.
630

Θησεύς

τίς δῆτʼ ἂν ἀνδρὸς εὐμένειαν ἐκβάλοι

τοιοῦδʼ, ὅτῳ πρῶτον μὲν ἡ δορύξενος

κοινή παρʼ ἡμῖν αἰέν ἐστιν ἑστία;

ἔπειτα δʼ ἱκέτης δαιμόνων ἀφιγμένος

γῇ τῇδε κἀμοὶ δασμὸν οὐ σμικρὸν τίνει.
635

ἁγὼ σεβισθεὶς οὔποτʼ ἐκβαλῶ χάριν

τὴν τοῦδε, χώρᾳ δʼ ἔμπολιν κατοικιῶ.

εἰ δʼ ἐνθάδʼ ἡδὺ τῷ ξένῳ μίμνειν, σέ νιν

τάξω φυλάσσειν, εἴτʼ ἐμοῦ στείχειν μέτα,

τόδʼ ἡδύ, τούτων, Οἰδίπους, δίδωμί σοι
640

κρίναντι χρῆσθαι· τῇδε γὰρ ξυνοίσομαι.

642

Οἰδίπους

ὦ Ζεῦ, διδοίης τοῖσι τοιούτοισιν εὖ.

Θησεύς

τί δῆτα χρῄζεις; ἦ δόμους στείχειν ἐμούς;

Οἰδίπους

εἴ μοι θέμις γʼ ἦν· ἀλλʼ ὁ χῶρός ἐσθʼ ὅδε,

Θησεύς

ἐν ᾧ τί πράξεις; οὐ γὰρ ἀντιστήσομαι.
645

Οἰδίπους

ἐν ᾧ κρατήσω τῶν ἔμʼ ἐκβεβληκότων.

Θησεύς

μέγʼ ἂν λέγοις δώρημα τῆς συνουσίας.

Οἰδίπους

εἰ σοί γʼ ἅπερ φῂς ἐμμενεῖ τελοῦντί μοι.

Θησεύς

θάρσει τὸ τοῦδέ γʼ ἀνδρός· οὔ σε μὴ προδῶ.

Οἰδίπους

οὔτοι σʼ ὑφʼ ὅρκου γʼ ὡς κακὸν πιστώσομαι.
650

Θησεύς

οὔκουν πέρα γʼ ἂν οὐδὲν ἢ λόγῳ φέροις.

Οἰδίπους

πῶς οὖν ποήσεις;

Θησεύς

τοῦ μάλιστʼ ὄκνος σʼ ἔχει;

Οἰδίπους

ἥξουσιν ἄνδρες

Θησεύς

ἀλλὰ τοῖσδʼ ἔσται μέλον.

Οἰδίπους

ὅρα με λείπων

Θησεύς

μὴ δίδασχʼ ἃ χρή με δρᾶν.

Οἰδίπους

ὀκνοῦντʼ ἀνάγκη.
655

Θησεύς

τοὐμὸν οὐκ ὀκνεῖ κέαρ.

Οἰδίπους

οὐκ οἶσθʼ ἀπειλὰς

Θησεύς

οἶδʼ ἐγώ σε μή τινα

ἐνθένδʼ ἀπάξοντʼ ἄνδρα πρὸς βίαν ἐμοῦ.

πολλαὶ δʼ ἀπειλαὶ πολλὰ δὴ μάτην ἔπη

θυμῷ κατηπείλησαν, ἀλλʼ ὁ νοῦς ὅταν

αὑτοῦ γένηται, φροῦδα τἀπειλήματα.
660

κείνοις δʼ ἴσως κεἰ δείνʼ ἐπερρώσθη λέγειν

τῆς σῆς ἀγωγῆς, οἶδʼ ἐγώ, φανήσεται

μακρὸν τὸ δεῦρο πέλαγος οὐδὲ πλώσιμον.

θαρσεῖν μὲν οὖν ἔγωγε κἂν ἐμῆς ἄνευ

γνώμης ἐπαινῶ, Φοῖβος εἰ προὔπεμψέ σε·
665

ὅμως δὲ κἀμοῦ μὴ παρόντος οἶδʼ ὅτι

τοὐμὸν φυλάξει σʼ ὄνομα μὴ πάσχειν κακῶς.

Translations (5)

English (Lewis Campbell, 1906) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Lewis Campbell, 1906)) — 461 focus

Thou art worthy of all compassion, Oedipus,

Thyself and these thy daughters. Now, moreover

Since thou proclaim’st thyself our country’s saviour

I would advise thee for the best.

OED

Kind sir,
465

Be my good guide. I will do all thou biddest.
465

CH

Propitiate then these holy powers, whose grove

Received thee when first treading this their ground.

OED

What are the appointed forms? Advise me, sirs.

CH

First see to it that from some perennial fount

Clean hands provide a pure drink-offering.
470

OED

And when I have gotten this unpolluted draught?

CH

You will find bowls, formed by a skilful hand,

Whose brims and handles you must duly wreathe.

OED

With leaves or flocks of wool, or in what way?

CH

With tender wool ta’en from a young ewe-lamb.
475

OED

Well, and what follows to complete the rite?

CH

Next, make libation toward the earliest dawn.

OED

Mean’st thou from those same urns whereof thou speakest?

CH

From those three vessels pour three several streams,

Filling the last to the brim.

OED

With what contents
480

Must this be filled? Instruct me.
480

CH

Not with wine,

But water and the treasure of the bee.

OED

And when leaf-shadowed Earth has drunk of this,

What follows?

CH

Thou shalt lay upon her then

From both thy hands a row of olive-twigs—

Counting thrice nine in all—and add this prayer—

OED

That is the chief thing,—that I long to hear.
485

CH

As we have named them Gentle, so may they

From gentle hearts accord their suppliant aid;—

Be this thy prayer, or whoso prays for thee,

Spoken not aloud, but so that none may hear;

And in departing, turn not. This being done,
490

I can stand by thee without dread. But else,

I needs must fear concerning thee.

OED

My daughters,

Have ye both heard our friends who inhabit here?

ANT

Yea, father; and we wait for thy command.

OED

I cannot go. Two losses hinder me,
495

Two evils, want of strength and want of sight.

Let one of you go and perform this service.

One soul, methinks, in paying such a debt

May quit a million, if the heart be pure.

Haste, then, to do it. Only leave me not
500

Untended. For I cannot move alone

Nor without some one to support me and guide.

ISM

I will be ministrant. But let me know

Where I must find the place of offering.

CH

Beyond this grove. And, stranger maid, if aught

Seem wanting, there is one at hand to show it.

ISM

Then to my task. Meantime, Antigone,

Watch by our sire. We must not make account

Of labour that supplies a parent’s need.

CH

Thy long since slumbering woe I would not wake again,

But yet I long to learn.

OED

What hidden lore?

CH

The pain

That sprang against thy life with spirit-mastering force.

OED

Ah, sirs, as ye are kind, re-open not that source

Of unavoided shame.

CH

Friend, we would hear the tale
520

Told truly, whose wide voice doth hourly more prevail.
520

OED

Misery!

CH

Be not loth!

OED

O bitterness!

CH

Consent.

For all thou didst require we gave to thy content.

OED

Oh, strangers, I have borne an all-too-willing brand,

Yet not of mine own choice.
530

CH

Whence? We would understand.

OED

Nought knowing of the curse she fastened on my head

Thebè in evil bands bound me.

CH

Thy mother’s bed,

Say, didst thou fill? mine ear still echoes to the noise.

OED

’Tis death to me to hear, but, these, mine only joys,

Friends, are my curse.

CH

O Heaven!

OED

The travail of one womb
535

Hath gendered all you see, one mother, one dark doom.
535

CH

How? Are they both thy race, and—

OED

Sister branches too,

Nursed at the self-same place with him from whom they grew.

CH

O horror!

OED

Ay, not one, ten thousand charged me then!

CH

O sorrow!

OED

Never done, an ever-sounding strain.

CH

O crime!

OED

By me ne’er wrought.

CH

But how?

OED

The guerdon fell.

Would I had earned it not from those I served too well.

CH

But, hapless, didst thou slay—

OED

What seek ye more to know?

CH

Thy father?
545

OED

O dismay! Ye wound me, blow on blow.

CH

Thy hand destroyed him.

OED

Yes. Yet lacks there not herein

A plea for my redress.

CH

How canst thou clear that sin?

OED

I’ll tell thee. For the deed, ’twas proved mine,—Oh ’tis true!

Yet by Heaven’s law I am freed:—I wist not whom I slew.

CH

Enough. For lo! where Aegeus’ princely son,

Theseus, comes hither, summoned at thy word.
550

THESEUS
Enter THESEUS .

From many voices in the former time

Telling thy cruel tale of sight destroyed

I have known thee, son of Laius, and to-day

I know thee anew, in learning thou art here.

Thy raiment, and the sad change in thy face,

Proclaim thee who thou art, and pitying thee,
555

Dark-fated Oedipus, I fain would hear

What prayer or supplication thou preferrest

To me and to my city, thou and this

Poor maid who moves beside thee. Full of dread

Must be that fortune thou canst name, which I
560

Would shrink from, since I know of mine own youth,

How in strange lands a stranger as thou art

I bore the brunt of perilous circumstance

Beyond all others; nor shall any man,

Like thee an alien from his native home,
565

Find me to turn my face from succouring him.

I am a man and know it. To-morrow’s good

Is no more mine than thine or any man’s.

OED

Thy noble spirit, Theseus, in few words

Hath made my task of utterance brief indeed.
570

Thou hast told aright my name and parentage

And native city. Nought remains for me

But to make known mine errand, and our talk

Is ended.

THE

Tell me plainly thy desire.
575

OED

I come to offer thee this woe-worn frame,

As a free boon,—not goodly in outward view.

A better gift than beauty is that I bring.

THE

What boon dost thou profess to have brought with thee?

OED

Thou shalt know by and by,—not yet awhile.
580

THE

When comes the revelation of thine aid?

OED

When I am dead, and thou hast buried me.

THE

Thou cravest the last kindness. What’s between

Thou dost forget or else neglect.

OED

Herein
585

One word conveys the assurance of the whole.
585

THE

You sum up your petition in brief form.

OED

Look to it. Great issues hang upon this hour.

THE

Mean’st thou in this the fortune of thy sons

Or mine?

OED

I mean the force of their behest

Compelling my removal hence to Thebes.

THE

So thy consent were sought, ’twere fair to yield.
590

OED

Once I was ready enough. They would not then.

THE

Wrath is not wisdom in misfortune, man!

OED

Nay, chide not till thou knowest.

THE

Inform me, then!

I must not speak without just grounds.

OED

O Theseus,
595

I am cruelly harassed with wrong heaped on wrong.
595

THE

Mean’st thou that prime misfortune of thy birth?

OED

No. That hath long been rumoured through the world.

THE

What, then, can be thy grief? If more than that,

’Tis more than human.

OED

Here is my distress:—

I am made an outcast from my native land

By mine own offspring. And return is barred
600

For ever to the man who slew his sire.

THE

How then should they require thee to go near,

And yet dwell separate?

OED

The voice of Heaven

Will drive them to it.

THE

As fearing what reverse

Prophetically told?

OED

Destined defeat
605

By Athens in the Athenian land.
605

THE

What source

Of bitterness ’twixt us and Thebes can rise?

OED

German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (German (J. J. C. Donner, 1875; OCR review)) — 461 focus

Wohl werth des Mitleids, Dedipus, erscheinst du selbst

Und deine Töchter! Aber da du meinem Land

Dich jezt zum Helfer selbst erbeutst mit diesem Wort:

So will ich treulich rathen, was dir frommen kann.

Oedipus.

Theurer, Alles will ich thun; du rathe nur.
460

Der Chor.

Versühne diese Götterfrau'n, zu welchen du

Zuerst gekommen, als du diesen Grund betratst.

Oedipus.

In welcher Weise? Lehret mich's o Fremdlinge.

Der Chor.

Aus unversiegtem Borne bring' heran zuerst¹

Weihwasser, das du schöpfen mußt mit reiner Hand.
465

Oedipus.

Und wenn ich dieses lautre Naß herbeigeschafft -?

Der Chor.

Sind Krüge hier, des kunsterfahr'nen Mannes Werk:²

An beiden Henkeln und am Rand bekränze die

Oedipus.

Mit Zweigen oder Flocken oder sonst womit?

Mit neugeschornem Wollenvließ vom jungen Lamm.
470

Gut! Aber wie vollend' ich dann das Uebrige?

Der Chor.

Trankopfer spende, nach des Ostens Licht gewandt.³

Oedipus.

Aus jenen Krügen, die du nanntest, spend' ich sie?

Der Chor.

Dreifachen Quellguß; doch den ganzen lezten Krug -

Oedipus.

Womit erfüll' ich diesen? Sag' auch dies mir an.
475

Der Chor.

Mit Wasser, Honig; doch gesell' ihm keinen Wein.⁴

Oedipus.

Und wenn der schwarzbelaubte Grund die Spende trank -?

Der Chor.

So leg' auf diesen dreimal neun Delsprossen hin⁵

Mit beiden Händen, und zugleich sprich dies Gebet.

Oedipus.

Dies laß mich hören; ist es doch das Höchste mir.
480

Der Chor.

„So wie man euch die Holden nennt, so nehmet auch

Mit holdem Herzen auf den Flehenden!"

So bete selber, oder wer für dich es sei,

Mit leisem Flüstern, nicht mit laut erhob'nem Ruf.

Ohn' umzublicken, weiche dann. Und wenn du dies
485

Vollbrachtest, werd' ich dir getrost zur Seite steh'n;

Im andern Fall, o Fremdling, bangt mir deinethalb.

Oedipus.

Vernahmt ihr, Kinder, dieser Eingebornen Wort?

Antigone.

Wir hörten Alles: ordne, was geschehen soll.

Oedipus.

Ich kann den Weg nicht wandeln; denn zwiefaches Leid,
490

Die matten Glieder wehren's und des Auges Nacht.

Doch euer Eine gehe schnell und ordne dies.

Denn Eine Seele, denk ich, gnügt für tausend auch,

Das auszurichten, wenn sie naht mit lautrem Sinn.

An's Werk denn eilet ungesäumt; nur lasset mich
495

Hier nicht allein; denn meinem Leibe fehlt die Kraft,

Verlassen, ohne Führer, seinen Pfad zu geh'n.

Ismene.

Ich geh' es auszurichten; doch die Stätte, wo

Ich Alles finden werde, laß mich wissen erst.

Der Chor.

Jenseits des Haines, Tochter; wenn dir Andres noch
500

Gebricht, so wohnt er nahe, der dir rathen wird.

Ismene.

Dort will ich hingeh'n: hüte du, Antigone,

Indessen hier den Vater; denn selbst harter Müh'n

Darf nicht gedenken, wer die Müh'n um Eltern trägt.

Dedipus. Antigone. Der Chor.

Der Chor.

Grausam ist es, o Freund, wecken ein Leid,
505

Welches bereits lange geschlummert;

Und doch zu vernehmen wünsch' ich

Was ist es?

Welch herber, welch gräßlicher Schlag des Schicksals,

Unseliger, dich getroffen.
510

Oedipus.

Bei'm Rechte des Gastes, deck' es

Nicht auf: ich erlitt so Schnödes!

Der Chor.

Von der mächtigen, nie ruhenden Sage,

Freund, möcht' ich sichere Kunde hören.

Oedipus.

Weh mir!
515

Der Chor.

Füge dich, ich flehe!

Oedipus.

Ach, ach!

Der Chor.

Willfahr' uns;

Denn ich auch ehre ja deine Wünsch' alle.

(ab.)

Oedipus.

Unheil schuf ich, o Freund, schus es, ein Unschuldiger; ja, zeuge die Gottheit,
520

Nichts übt' ich davon mit Willen!

Wie so das?

In schnödem Ehlager umfing die Stadt mich

Arglosen mit Gräuelbanden.

Der Chor.

Bestiegest du, wie wir hörten,
525

Der Mutter entweihtes Lager?

Oedipus.

Tod ist es, (o Graun!) dieses zu hören,

Ach, Freund: und diese, die beiden hier, sind

Der Chor.

Wie sagst du?

Oedipus.

Töchter mir, und Fluch mir!
530

Der Chor.

Ach, Zeus!

Oedipus.

Sie sprossen mit mir aus Einer Frau Schooße.

Der Chor.

Sie wären deine Töchter denn

Oedipus.

Und sind des Vaters Schwestern auch.

Der Chor.

Graun!
535

Oedipus.

O Grau'n! Wahrlich, tausendfacher Fluch um=

strickte mich!

Du littst -

Verübtest -

Der Chor.

Ich litt unsäglich Leid.

Oedipus.

Nichts verübt' ich.

Der Chor.

Wie?

Oedipus.

Mir ward ein Lohn,

Welchen ich nimmer verdient, ich Verlorener,

Von meiner Ahnen Lande, dem ich wohlthat.

Der Chor.

Unseliger, und du gabst den Tod
540

Oedipus.

Was meinst du da? Was willst du mehr?

Dem Vater?

Weh, weh! Du schlägst zur ersten Wunde die andre mir!

Der Chor.

Du warst sein Mörder?

Oedipus.

Ich war's; indeß -

Nun?

Nicht mit Unrecht, mein' ich.

Der Chor.

Wie?

Oedipus.

So höre denn:

Wider Gewalt ankämpfend, erschlug ich ihn,⁶
545

That's unbewußt und nach der Sazung schuldlos.⁷

Der Chor.

Da, siehe, kommt der König, Aegeus' Sohn, heran,

Theseus, gehorsam deinem Ruf, der ihn beschied.

Theseus. Die Vorigen.

Theseus.

Von Vielen hört' ich früher, wie dein Augenlicht

In blut'ger Nacht erloschen, daß ich dich sofort
550

Erkannte, Sohn des Laïos, und noch sichrer jezt

Aus dem erkenne, was ich hört' auf diesem Weg.

Denn dein Gewand und dein entsezenvolles Haupt

Bezeugt mir deutlich, wer du bist; mich jammert dein;

Drum will ich dich befragen, armer Dedipus,'
555

Um was du mich zu bitten und die Bürger hier

Gekommen, du mit deiner armen Führerin.

So sprich: ein ungeheures Werk ja müßtest du

Mir nennen, wollt' ich deinem Dienste mich entzieh'n:

Ich weiß, in fremdem Lande wuchs ich selbst heran,
560

Gleich dir; im Fremdlingslande, wie kein andrer Mann,

Durchkämpft' ich viel Gefahren über meinem Haupt.

Drum steh' ich keinem Fremdling, der, wie heute du,

Mir naht, mit meiner Hülfe fern; ich bin ein Mensch,

Wohl weiß ich dieses, und mir ward am nächsten Tag
565

Kein größrer Antheil, als er dir beschieden ist.

Oedipus.

Dein Adel, Theseus, hat in kurzem Worte sich

Entfaltet, daß mir wenig nur zu sagen bleibt.

Denn wer ich bin und welches Vaters Sohn, woher

Des Landes ich gekommen, hast du selbst gesagt;
570

So bliebe mir nichts übrig, als dir kundzuthun,

Was mein Begehr ist, und die Rede fand ihr Ziel.

Theseus.

Dies eben laß mich hören, dies enthülle mir.

Oedipus.

Ich komme, meinen müden Leib zur Gabe dir

Zu bringen, nicht gar lieblich anzuseh'n; indeß
575

Der Lohn von ihm ist größer, als das Aeußre schön.

Theseus.

Und welchen Vortheil bietest du zum Lohne mir?

Oedipus.

Die Zeit belehrt dich's, wär' es auch die nächste nicht.

Theseus.

Wann aber wird uns deine Segnung offenbar?

Oedipus.

Sobald ich todt bin und du mich bestattet hast.
580

Theseus.

Des Lebens Leztes bittest du: was mitten liegt,

Vergissest oder achtest du von keinem Werth.

Oedipus.

Erlang' ich jenes, kommt mir auch dies Andre zu.⁸

Theseus.

Doch unbedeutend ist die Gunst, um die du flehst.

Oedipus.

Nicht leicht (bedenk' es ernstlich) ist der Kampf um sie.
585

Theseus.

Gilt Thebe's Söhnen oder gilt mir dieses Wort?

Oedipus.

Mich heimzubringen mit Gewalt verlangen sie.

Theseus.

Dir, wenn sie's. wollen, ziemte nicht die Weigerung.

Doch als ich selbst es wollte, widerstrebten sie.

O Thor, im Unglück ist der Troz nicht förderlich.
590

Oedipus.

Erst höre mich, dann mahne; jezt laß ab davon.

Theseus.

Sprich; eh' ich dich vernommen, ziemt mir nicht das Wort.

Oedipus.

Graunvoll, o Theseus, ward mir Leid auf Leid gehäuft.

Theseus.

Du sprichst von deines Hauses altem Ungemach?

Oedipus.

Nein; ist von ihm doch jeder Mund in Hellas voll.
595

Theseus.

Welch übermenschlich großes Leid erlittst du denn?

Oedipus.

So ging es mir: aus meinem Vaterreich vertrieb

Gewalt der eignen Söhne mich, und nimmer ist

Als Vatermörder mir gegönnt die Wiederkehr.

Theseus.

Was rufen sie dich also, daß du wohnst allein?
600

Oedipus.

Ein Wort aus Göttermunde zwingt sie so zu thun.

Theseus.

Mit welchem Unheil schreckte sie der Seherspruch?

Oedipus.

Daß dieses Land sie schlage, sei der Götter Schluß.

Theseus.

Wie käme Hader zwischen mir und Theben auf?

Oedipus.

English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Thomas Francklin, 1758–1759)) — 461 focus

Thou and thy daughters well deserve our pity

And, for thy words are full of promised good

To our loved city, I will tell thee all

'Tis meet thou shouldst perform.

Oedipus

My best of friends,
465

Instruct me ; I am ready to obey.
465

CiiOR. An expiation instant must thou make
465

To the offended powers whose sacred seat
465

Thou has profaned.
465

GCdi. But how must it be done?
465

Chorus

First, with pure hands, from th' ever-flowing

spring,

Thy due libations pour.

Oedipus

What follows then?

Chorus

Take thou a cup wrought by some skilful hand,

Bind it \vith wreaths around.
470

Oedipus

• Of leaves or threads

Composed ?

Chorus

Of wool, fresh from the new-shorn lamb.

Oedipus

Is there aught else ?

Chorus

Then, turning to the sun,
475

Make thy libations.
475

Oedipus

From the cup, thou sayst,

Chorus

The water from three fountains drawn ; and

last

Remember, none be left.

Oedipus

With that alone

Must it be filled ?
480

Chorus

Water with honey mixed —

No wine ; this pour on th' earth

Chorus
(Edi. What then remains?

Take in thy hand of olive-boughs thrice nine.

And offering these, begin thy humble prayer.

Oedipus

But how address them ? That concerns me near.

Chorus

Their name thou knowst implies benevolent :

Intreat them therefore kindly now to prove

Benevolent to thee ; but, remember,

Low be the voice and short the supplication.

That done, return — be careful to perform it ;

I may assist thee then with confidence,

But if thou dost it not, must tremble for thee.

Antigone
(Edi, My daughters, heard you this ?

We did; command

What's to be done.

Oedipus

What I can never do,

Powerless and blind as I am ; one of you,

My daughters, must perform it.

Antigone

One alone

May do the task of many when the mind

Is active in it.

Oedipus

Hence then, quick, away !

But do not leave me here alone. These limbs

Without a guide will never find their way.

Ismene

Father, I go ; but how to find the place

I know not.

Chorus

Stranger, t' other side of the grove ;

There, some inhabitant will soon inform thee,

If thou shouldst want assistance or instruction.

Ismene

Meantime, Antigone, remain thou here.

And guard our father well : cares are not cares

When we endure them for a parent's sake.

Chorus
\Exit ISMENE. Scene YII. (Edipus, Antigone, Chorus.

Stranger, albeit we know 'tis most ungrateful
520

To raise the sad remembrance of past woes.
520

Yet would we gladly hear
520

Chorus
(Edi. What wouldst thou know ?

The cause of thy unhappy state,

GEdi. Alas !

By all the sacred hospitable rites,

I beg thee do not ask me to reveal it ;

My crimes are horrible.

Chorus

Already fame

Hath spread them wide, and still talks loudly of them \

Tell us the truth.

Oedipus

Alas!

Chorus

Let me beseech thee !

Oedipus

O me!

Chorus

Comply : ask what thou wilt of me,

And thou shalt have it.

CEiy I have suifered muchj

The gods can witness 'twas against my will

t.

Knew not what ?

I knew not of it.

Unknowing too, bound me in lioiTid nuptials.

OnoR. And didst thou then pollute, as fame reports,

Thy mother's bed ?

Here, here they are.

Chorus
(Edi. The city, (Edi. Oh ! death to hear : I did.

Who 's there ?

Oedipus

INIy crimes ! my daughters !

Chorus

Daughters and sisters of their father ? Oh !

'Tis horrible indeed !

Qi^Di. 'Tis woe on woe.

Chorus

Great Jove ! both daughters of one hapless

mother !

What hast thou suffered ?

Chorus
(Edi. Ills not io be borne.

Didst thou then perpetrate the horrid deed ?

Chorus
(Edi. Oh no !

Not do it ?

A fatal gift ; would I had never ta'en it !

Chorus
(Edi. I received from Thebes

And art thou not a murderer too ?

Thou sayst ?

Chorus
(Edi. What's that

Thy father

Chorus
(Edi. Thou add'st grief to grief.

Didst thou not murder him ?
545

Chorus
(Edi. I did ; but hear

Hear what ?

Chorus
(Edi. The cause.

What cause ?

I murdered others too, yet by the laws

I stand absolved ; 'twas done in ignorance.

Chorus
(Edi. I'll tell thee. Know then,

{seeh^ Theseus, wJw enters]. But lo ! the king,

-(Egean Theseus, comes ;

The fame of thee bath brought him here already.
550

TheseuSj CEdipus, Antigone, Uiiokus.
550

Theseus
Scene YIII.

O son of Laius ! long ere- this the tal«

Of thy disastrous fate, by many a tongue

Related, I had heard : thy eyes torn forth

By thy own desperate hand : and now I see

It was too true. Thy garb and dreadful aspect

Speak who thou art. Unhappy Qildipus,

I come to ask, in pity to thy woes.
555

What 's thy request to Athens or to me —

Thine, or this hapless virgin on thy steps

Attendant. Speak ; for large must be the boon

1 would refuse thee. I have known too well,

Myself a wretched wanderer, the woes

Of cruel exile, not to pity thine :
560

Of toils and dangers in a foreign land
560

Much have I suffered ; therefore not to me

Shall the poor stranger ever sue in vain

For aid and safety. Mortals as we are,

Uncertain ever is to-morrow's fate,

Alike unknown to Theseus and to thee.

Q^Idi. Theseus, thy words declare thy noble nature,
565

And leave me little to reply. Thou knowst

My story — who and whence I am ; no more

Remains, but that I tell thee my request,

And we have done.

Theseus

Proceed then, and inform me
575

(ipr. I come to give this wretched body to thee,
575

To sight ungracious, but of worth more dear
575

To thee than fairest forms could boast.
575

Theseus

What worhih i

Oedipus

Hereafter thou slialt know — not now

Theseus

But when

Shall we receive it ']

When thou shalt bury me.

my

Theseus
(Edi. When I am no more

Death is, it seems,

Thy chief concern, and life not worth thy cai-e.

Theseus
(Edi. That will procure me all the means of life.

And is this all thou ask'st, this little boon?

Oedipus

Not little is the strife which shall ensue.

Theseus

What strife ? With whom — thy children, or

own?

Thebes.

Theseus
(Edi. Mine, Theseus; they would have me back to

And wouldst thou rather be an exile here?
590

Oedipus

Once they refused me.

Theseus

Anger suits but ill

With low estate and miseries like thine.

QEdi. Hear first, and then condemn me.

Theseus

Not unheard

All thou canst urge, would I reprove thee. Speak.

Oedipus

O Theseus ! I have borne the worst of ills.
595

Theseus

The curses on thy race ?

Oedipus

Oh no ! all Greece

Hath heard of them.

Theseus

What more than mortal woe

Afihcts thee then ?

Oedipus

E'en this : my cruel sons

Have driven me from my country ; nevermore
600

Must Thebes receive a pariicide.

Theseus

Why then

Recall thee now, if thou must ne'er return ?

Oedipus

Commanded by an oracle divine.

Theseus

Why, what doth it declare ?

To thee, and to thy arms.

Theseus

But whence should spring

Such dire contention ?

Oedipus

English (Robert Potter, 1788) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Robert Potter, 1788)) — 461 focus

To act as thou shalt counsel I am prompt.
465

Chorus

Make an atonement to those pow'rs, to whom

Thou didst first come, and tread this hallow'd ground.

Oedipus

Tell me, ye friendly strangers, with what rites.

Chorus

First from the ever-flowing fountain bring

Sacred libations touch'd with holy hands.
470

Oedipus

And when these pure effusions I shall take......

Chorus

Goblets, the work of skilful hands, are there;

Their highest verge and double handles crown.

Oedipus

With verdant branches, or the woof's fine threads?

Chorus

Wreathing the soft wool of a lamb around.
475

Oedipus

How next behoves me to disgrace these rites ?

Chorus

Turn tow'rds the orient morn, and pour the streams.

Oedipus

These from the goblets mention'd must I pour ?

Chorus

At three libations; at the last, the whole..

Oedipus

Instruct me yet; with what must this be fill'd?
480

Chorus

With water and with honey: add no wine.

Oedipus

This when the earth's dark verdure hath received......

Chorus

Thrice on it with both hands place olive boughs

Thrice three; then breathe thy supplicating pray'rs.

Oedipus

These I would learn: of highest import these.
485

Chorus

Propitious as we call them, that with minds

Propitious they their votary would receive

And save, implore them thou, or be thy pray'r

Presented by some other: but take heed,

Low be thy voice, and few thy modest words;

Then slow retire with backward step. These rites.
490

If thou discharge, my hope will stand secure;

If not, O stranger, I must fear for thee.

Oedipus

Hear you, my daughters, what with friendly voice

Those, who have here their habitance, advise ?

Ismene

We heard them: what must now be done, command.

Oedipus

Me to discharge these things my want of strength,

And want of sight, two bitter ills, deny.

Ismene

Go one of you, perform these rites; for one

In execution of such charge I deem

Sufficient as a thousand, if the mind

Be well affected; with the utmost speed

Perform it then; but leave me not alone;

For, if forsaken, these enfeebled limbs

Cannot creep onwards; they require a guide.

I go then: to discharge this trust be mine.

But show me first the place which I must find.

Chorus

On that side of the grove. Shou'dst thou of aught

Have need, O Virgin stranger, there resides

One thy inquiries ready to resolve.

Ismene

For this I go; Antigone, do thou

Guard here our father: for a parent's sake:

E'en if we toil, we think not of the toil.

Chorus
CEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, CHORUS.

Though it be painful to awake a grief
520

Long calm'd to rest, yet, Stranger, I would ask......
520

Oedipus

What wou'dst thou ask?

Chorus

Whence all this signal grief,

This dreadful, this interminable woe?

Oedipus

This, by each hospitable right I beg,
525

Forbear to open: they are deeds abhorr'd.

Chorus

Wide the report hath spread, nor yet hath ceased;

The truth I wish to know. ".

Oedipus

Unhappy me!

Chorus

Let me prevail; comply with my request,

I beg thee; with thy wishes I comply.

Oedipus

The worst of ills I have sustain'd, sustain'd

Unwillingly, O strangers: none of these,

Be the gods witness, sprung from my free choice.

Chorus

What may this be?

Oedipus

In marriage foul, accursed,

Me the state bound, unconscious of the guilt.

Chorus

Didst thou, I tremble as I speak it, fill,

Oedipus

As fame reports, thy mother's bed?
535

To hear
535

These things is death, O strangers; but from me
535

Sprung these two virgins, of my guilt two proofs.
535

Chorus

Immortal Jove!

Oedipus

With-me.

And from one mother sprung

Chorus

Are these then daughters, daughters these,

Oedipus

And sisters of their father?

Wretched me!

Chorus

Wretched indeed: for infinite thy ills.

Oedipus

Ah! never can their memory be effaced.

Chorus

And thou hast done.......

Oedipus

These are no deeds of mine.

Chorus

How not thy deeds?

Oedipus

I from the liberal state

Received a gift, (O that I never had!)

And thence sprung all the woes that rend my heart...

Chorus

Unhappy man! And art thou stain'd with blood?

Oedipus

Why this? what wou'dst thou?

Chorus

With a father's blood?
545

Oedipus

Oh! thou hast pierced me with another grief.

Chorus

Didst thou not slay...

Oedipus

I did: yet I have what

To urge in my excuse.

Chorus

What canst thou plead?

Oedipus

That I will tell thee: ignorant whose blood

My hand then shed, I by the law am pure;

For I was led unknowing to the deed.

Chorus

But see, excited by the fame of thee

Our king, the son of Ægeus, Theseus comes.
550

Theseus
THESEUS, CEDIPUS, ANTIGONE, CHORUS.

Hearing reported oft in days long past

The bloody deed that quench'd thy orbs of sight,

I know thee, son of Laius: much more now,

By information on the way received,

I know thee well; those squalid weeds, that head...

So mark'd with misery show me who thou art.
555

Unhappy Œdipus, I pity thee,

And wish to ask with what request to me

And to my people hither thou art come,

Thou, and that hapless virgin on thy steps

Attending: make it known: be it a task
560

Of toil or danger, fear not a repulse;

For I have learn'd, I have been train'd to feel,

Like thee, a stranger's woes; with many toils

And many dangers in a foreign land

Have I conflicted; from no stranger then,
565

As thou art now disdainful will I turn,

Not yielding thee protection; for I know,

Being a man, not more than thine my pow'r

To rule th' events to-morrow may bring forth.
575

Oedipus

Thy generous spirit, Theseus, in few words

Shines forth; behoves me then a brief reply :

For who I am, and of what father born,

And from what country come, thou hast declared.

Nothing for me remains then, but to show

What at thy friendly hands I would request.

Theseus

Of this inform me then; I wish to know.

Oedipus

I come this wretched body to bestow
580

On thee; a gift not to the sight indeed
580

Alluring, but th' advantages it brings
580

Are of more value than a beauteous form.
580

Theseus

And what advantage dost thou deign to bring?

Oedipus

Time, not the present hour will show thee this.

Theseus

When shall in deed thy offer'd good appear?

Oedipus

When I am dead, and thou shalt bury me.
585

Theseus

These are the last sad offices of life

Thou now hast ask'd; but all between hast left

Forgotten, or of no importance deem'd.,

Oedipus

In copious measure these are here on me

Theseus

Conferr'd.

Small grace dost thou of me require.

Oedipus

Yet see; not small this contest.

Theseus

Of thy sons
590

Is this declared, or me?
590

Oedipus

They would by force

Compel me to return.

Theseus

If such their wish,

Thy voluntary wanderings on thy self

Bring much dishonour.

Oedipus

But when such my wish,

They would not yield assent.

Theseus

Rash man, in ills

Anger brings no advantage.

Oedipus

Hear me first,
595

Ere thou reprove me.
595

Theseus

Speak; for till inform'd

Ill it becomes me of the cause to judge.

Oedipus

O Theseus, I have suffer'd dreadful ills

Added to ills.

Theseus

Is it thy scope to speak

Of the old ills which plunged thy house in woe?

Oedipus

No: for of that each Grecian speaks aloud.

Theseus

More than man's common lot are then thy woes?

Oedipus

They are: for from my country I am driv'n

By mine own sons, and never to return,

Since in my father's blood my hands are stain'd.

Theseus

Why then would they recal thee, since thy doom

Is to live distant?

Constrain'd.

By the voice divine

What terrors doth that voice denounce?

Oedipus

Defeat and slaughter from this land.
605

Theseus

And whence

'Twixt them and me should strife and war arise?

Oedipus

English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904) (OCR draft) Experimental (English (Sir Richard Jebb, 1904)) — 510-546c focus

Chorus

Terrible it is, stranger, to arouse the old woe that has for so long been laid to rest: and yet I yearn to hear—
510

Oedipus

What now?

Chorus

—Of that grief-filled anguish, cureless, with which you have wrestled.

Oedipus

By your hospitality, do not uncover the shame that I have suffered!
515

Chorus

Seeing that the tale is wide-spread and in no way weakens, I wish, friend, to hear it straight.

Oedipus

Ah me!

Chorus

Grant the favor, I beg!

Oedipus

Alas, alas!

Chorus

Grant my wish, as I have granted yours to the full.
520

521

Oedipus

I have suffered the greatest misery, strangers—suffered it through unintended deeds—may the god know it! No part was of my own choice.

Chorus

But in what way?

Oedipus

In an evil marriage, the city bound me, unknowing, to ruin.
525

Chorus

Is it true, as I hear, that you made your mother the partner of your bed, to its infamy?

Oedipus

Ah, me! These words, strangers, are like death to my ears. And those two maidens of mine—

Chorus

What will you say?
530

Oedipus

—Two daughters—two curses—

Chorus

O Zeus!

Oedipus

—of mine, sprung from the travail of the womb that bore me too.

534

Chorus

These, then, are at once your daughters, and—

Oedipus

—Sisters, indeed, of their father.
535

Chorus

Oh!

Oedipus

Indeed, woes untold sweep back upon my soul!

Chorus

You have suffered—

Oedipus

I have suffered woes grievous to bear.

Chorus

You have performed—

Oedipus

I have not performed!

Chorus

How?

Oedipus

A gift was given to me—O, wretched that I am, if only I had never won from the city that gift for my services!

542

Chorus

Cursed man! What of this? Did you commit the murder—

Oedipus

What now? What would you learn?

Chorus

—Of your father?

Oedipus

Oh! oh! a second stab—wound on wound!

Chorus

You killed—
545

Oedipus

I killed—yet I have a plea—

Chorus

What can you plead?

Oedipus

—A plea of justice.

Chorus

What?

Oedipus

I will tell you: I killed in ignorance and perished utterly. Pure before the law, without knowledge of my act, I have come to this!

Chorus

Look, there comes our lord, Theseus son of Aegeus,

at the sound of your voice, to do that for which he was summoned.
550

Enter Theseus.

Theseus

Through hearing from many in the past about the bloody marring of your sight, I recognized it was you, son of Laius; and now on coming here, through sight I am more fully certain.

For your clothing and that heart-rending face alike assure me that it is you. And in all compassion I ask you, ill-fated Oedipus, with what petition to the city and to me have you taken your place here, you and the poor maiden at your side. Declare it. Dire indeed must be the fortune which you tell,
555

for me to stand aloof from it; since I know that I myself also was reared in exile, just as you, and that in foreign lands I wrestled with perils to my life, like no other man.
560

Never, then, would I turn aside from a stranger, such as you are now, or refuse to help in his deliverance. For I know well that I am a man, and that my portion of tomorrow is no greater than yours.
565

Oedipus

Theseus, in a few words your nobleness has come to such a point

that I need make only a brief reply. You have said who I am, from what father I am sprung, and from what land I have come; and so nothing else remains for me but to speak my wish, and the tale is told.
570

Theseus

Then inform me of this very thing, so that I may learn it.
575

Oedipus

I come to offer you my care-worn body as a gift—not one fine to look on, but the gains from it are better than beauty.

579

Theseus

And what gain do you claim to have brought?

Oedipus

Later you may learn it—but not yet.
580

Theseus

At what time, then, will the benefit become clear?

Oedipus

When I am dead, and you have given me burial.

Theseus

You crave life’s last service; but for all between you have no memory, or no care.

Oedipus

Indeed, for by that service I gather in all the rest.
585

Theseus

Well then, this favor you crave from me is brief indeed.

Oedipus

Yet take care; the struggle here is no light one. No, indeed.

Theseus

Do you mean in respect to your sons, or to me?

Oedipus

They will compel you to convey me there to Thebes .

Theseus

But if you are willing, then exile is not becoming.
590

Oedipus

No, when I was willing, they refused.

Theseus

Foolish man, anger amidst woes is not suitable.

Oedipus

When you have heard my story, admonish; till then, forbear.

Theseus

Speak. I must not pronounce without knowledge.

Oedipus

I have suffered, Theseus, terrible woes upon woes.
595

Theseus

Will you speak of the ancient trouble of your race?

Oedipus

No, indeed; all Greeks speak of that.

Theseus

How, then, do you suffer beyond what is mortal?

Oedipus

The circumstance is this: from my country I have been driven by my own sons;

and I may not return, since I am guilty of a father’s blood.
600

Theseus

Why would they have you brought back, if you must dwell apart?

Oedipus

The word of the god will compel them.

Theseus

What suffering do they fear from the oracles?

Oedipus

That they must be struck down in this land.
605

Theseus

And how should bitterness come between them and me?

607

Oedipus

Dearest son of Aegeus, to the gods alone old age and death never come, but everything else sinks into chaos from time which overpowers all.

Earth’s strength decays, and so too the strength of the body; trust dies; distrust is born; and the same spirit is never steadfast among friends, or between city and city. For some now, for others tomorrow, sweet feelings turn to bitter, and then once more to being dear.
610

And if now the sun shines brightly between Thebes and you, yet time in his course gives birth to days and nights untold, in which from a small cause they will
615

scatter with the spear today’s pledges of concord. Then one day my slumbering and buried corpse, cold in death, will drink their warm blood, if Zeus is still Zeus, and Phoebus, the son of Zeus, speaks clear.
But, since I would not break silence concerning words that must not spoken, allow me to cease where I began.
620

Only keep your own pledge good, and never will you say that in vain you welcomed Oedipus to dwell in this land—if indeed the gods do not deceive me.
625

Chorus

Lord, from the first this man has shown a

will to bring these words, or similar ones, to completion for our land.
630

Theseus

Who, then, would reject the goodwill of such a one? To whom, first, the hearth of a spear-friend is always available on our side, by reciprocal right; then too he has come as a suppliant to our gods,

paying no small recompense to this land and to me. In reverence for these claims, I will never spurn his favor, and I will establish a dwelling for him as a citizen in the land. And if it is the pleasure of the stranger to remain here, I will command you to
635

protect him; or, if it pleases him, to come with me. This choice or that, Oedipus, you may take; your desire will be mine.
640

642

Oedipus

O Zeus, may you be good to men such as these!

Theseus

What is your wish, then? Will you come to my house?

Oedipus

Yes, I would, if it were right. But this is the place—

Theseus

What will you do here? Speak, for I will not hinder you.
645

Oedipus

—Where I will conquer those who cast me out.

Theseus

The promised gift of your presence would be great.

Oedipus

It shall be, if you keep your pledge with me.

Theseus

Have courage concerning me; never will I betray you.

Oedipus

I will not bind you with an oath as if an evil man.
650

Theseus

Well, you would win nothing more than by my word.

Oedipus

What will you do, then?

Theseus

What is it that you fear?

Oedipus

Men will come—

Theseus

But these men here will see to that.

Oedipus

Beware that if you leave me—

Theseus

Do not instruct me in my duties.

Oedipus

Fear constrains me—
655

Theseus

My heart feels no fear.

Oedipus

You do not know the threats—

Theseus

I know that none will lead you from here against my will. Often threats have blustered in men’s hearts with words loud and vain; but when the mind comes to itself once more,

the threats have vanished. For those men, too, perhaps—yes, even if in boldness they have spoken dreadful things of bringing you back, the voyage here will prove long and hard to sail. Now I exhort you, apart from any decision of mine, to take heart,
660

if indeed Phoebus has been your escort here. Even if I am not present, still my name, I know, will shield you from harm.
665

Commentary

Commentary (R. C. Jebb) (OCR draft) (Commentary (R. C. Jebb))

mvp-comment-244-1 In the MSS. the verse ἦ τῆσδε κἀμοῦ ; etc. stands immediately after the verse πρόσψαυσον, ὦ παῖ , etc. Musgrave has been followed by nearly all subsequent editors, in separating these two verses by the insertion between them of the verse ὦ σπέρμ’ ὅμαιμον etc. This transposition is plainly necessary: else Ismene will say that she touches not only her father and sister, but herself. Campbell defends

θιγγάνω … δυσμόρου … ἐμοῦ τρίτης

as meaning, "I too am linked in this unhappy circle": adding that

"the construction of a reply, in this sort of dialogue, is not to be pressed too closely."

The source of the confusion in the MSS. was obviously that the gen. ἦ τῆσδε κἀμοῦ etc. could depend, in grammar , either on θιγγάνω or on τροφαί , though the sense leaves no choice. Nauck further places v. 327 (

ὦ τέκνον, ἥκεις

) after v. 329 (

πρόσψαυσον

). Wecklein places v. 328 (

τέκνον, πέφηνας

) after v. 329 . Neither of these changes is hurtful; but neither appears necessary.

mvp-comment-245-1 ὦ δυσάθλιαι τροφαί ¹

mvp-comment-245-2 ὅμαιμον ²

mvp-comment-246-1 σῇ ³

mvp-comment-247-1 πότερα ⁴

mvp-comment-247-2 πόθοισι ⁵

mvp-comment-247-3 λόγων αὐτάγγ ⁶

mvp-comment-248-1 ξὺν ᾧπερ … μόνῳ ⁷

mvp-comment-249-1 πονεῖν ⁸

mvp-comment-249-2 ποῦ ⁹

mvp-comment-250-1 οὗπέρ εἰσι ¹⁰

mvp-comment-250-2 τανῦν ¹¹

mvp-comment-251-1 Αἰγύπτῳ ¹²

mvp-comment-252-1 φύσιν ¹³

mvp-comment-252-2 τροφάς ¹⁴

mvp-comment-253-1 ἱστουργοῦντες ¹⁵

mvp-comment-254-1 τἄξω βίου τροφεῖα ¹⁷

mvp-comment-255-1 σφῷν δ’ ¹⁸

mvp-comment-256-1 Not noticing Ismene's hint (336) , Oedipus imagines his sons in repose at Thebes. He is soon to learn that one of them, an exile, is levying war against the other (374) .

mvp-comment-256-2 οἰκουροῦσιν ¹⁹

mvp-comment-256-3 ὥστε ²⁰

mvp-comment-256-4 παρθένοι ²¹

mvp-comment-257-1 τἀμὰ δυστήνου ²²

mvp-comment-258-1 νέας τροφῆς ἔληξε ²⁴

mvp-comment-258-2 κατίσχυσεν ²⁶

mvp-comment-259-1 γερονταγωγεῖ ²⁷

mvp-comment-260-1 νηλίπους ²⁹

mvp-comment-261-1 ἡγεῖται ³⁰

mvp-comment-261-2 τὰ τῆς ³¹

mvp-comment-262-1 εἰ … ἔχοι ³²

mvp-comment-262-2 τροφὴν ³³

mvp-comment-263-1 μαντεῖα πάντα ³⁴

mvp-comment-264-1 τοῦδε σώματος ³⁵

mvp-comment-264-2 φύλαξ δέ μοι ³⁶

mvp-comment-264-3 μοι ³⁷

mvp-comment-265-1 στόλος ³⁸

mvp-comment-266-1 μὴ οὐχὶ … φέρουσα ³⁹

mvp-comment-267-1 From Thebes to Athens is a short day's journey; but Ismene has sought her father far and wide. This could not well have been if, as Campbell supposes (on 355 ), the oracles which she herself had formerly brought to him had directed his course towards Attica.

mvp-comment-268-1 ζητοῦσα τὴν σὴν τροφήν ⁴⁰

mvp-comment-269-1 ἀμφὶ … παίδοιν ⁴¹

mvp-comment-270-1 Eteocles and Polyneices were young boys at the fall of Oedipus (see on 1

), and their uncle Creon (brother of Iocasta) became regent ( O. T. 1418 ). As the two brothers grew up, they agreed, at first, in wishing to resign the throne, of which they were joint heirs, to Creon, lest Thebes should be tainted by their own rule; but afterwards they fell to striving with each other for the sole power.

mvp-comment-270-2 ἔρως ⁴²

mvp-comment-270-3 Κρέοντί τε ⁴³

mvp-comment-270-4 Paley's

Κρέοντι δὴ

is, however, highly probable. It would mean, "to Creon in the next resort." So δὴ is used of succession in Ant. 173 , where Creon says

ἐγὼ κράτη δὴ πάντα καὶ θρόνους ἔχω

, I next (the sons of Oed. being dead); and Aesch. Eum. 3

ἣ δὴ τὸ μητρὸς δευτέρα τόδ’ ἕζετο | μαντεῖον

mvp-comment-271-1 ἐᾶσθαι ⁴⁴

mvp-comment-271-2 πόλιν ⁴⁵

mvp-comment-272-1 λόγῳ ⁴⁶

mvp-comment-272-2 τὴν πάλαι … φθοράν ⁴⁷

mvp-comment-273-1 κἀλιτηρίου ⁴⁹

mvp-comment-274-1 The dat. after εἰσῆλθε is strictly a dat. of the person interested, but was perh. influenced by the analogy of the dat. in

παρέστη μοι

, "it occurred to me," and the like; cp. Tr. 298

ἐμοὶ γὰρ οἶκτος... εἰσέβη

: Her. 1.86

) λέγεται ( τῷ Κροίσῳ … ἐσελθεῖν...τὸ τοῦ Σόλωνος

: but 6. 125

τὸν Κροῖσον γέλως ἐσῆλθε

: and so Eur. Med. 931

εἰσῆλθέ μ’ οἶκτος

mvp-comment-274-2 τρὶς ἀθλίοιν ⁵⁰

mvp-comment-275-1 If νεάζων ⁵¹

mvp-comment-276-1 τὸν πρόσθε ⁵²

mvp-comment-277-1 ἀποστερίσκει ⁵³

mvp-comment-278-1 πληθύων ⁵⁴

mvp-comment-279-1 Ἄργος ⁵⁵

mvp-comment-280-1 κῆδος ⁵⁸

mvp-comment-280-2 καινόν ⁵⁹

mvp-comment-281-1 ὡς ⁶⁰

mvp-comment-281-2 ὡς … Ἄργος … καθέξον ἢ … βιβῶν ⁶¹

mvp-comment-282-1 τιμῇ ⁶²

mvp-comment-282-2 καθέξον ⁶³

mvp-comment-282-3 πρὸς οὐρ. βιβῶν ⁶⁴

mvp-comment-283-1 ἀριθμός ⁶⁵

mvp-comment-284-1 If the MS. ὅποι (Vat. ὅπη ) is right, the phrase is harsh beyond example. ποῖ, ὅποι , instead of ποῦ, ὅπου , are often boldly used, when the verb implies either ( a ) motion , as 227

καταθήσεις

, 476

τελευτῆσαι

, Eur. Bacch. 184

καθιστάναι

, etc.; or ( b ) patience up to a point, as Aristoph. Lys. 526

ποῖ γὰρ καὶ χρῆν ἀναμεῖναι;

But it is hard to see how ὅποι κατοικτιοῦσιν could mean " how far they will prolong (thy woes) before they pity them." To supply προελθόντας or προαγαγόντες is to cut the knot. If the phrase meant anything, it ought rather to mean, " up to what point they will pity them." As in 335

ποῖ

is a MS. error for ποῦ , so here ὅποι for ὅπου (Wecklein prefers ὅπῃ , "in what way"). Note that, in this context, πόνους = the woes of Oed. generally (mental and physical), not merely his toils in wandering: this is against the emend. κατοικιοῦσιν .

mvp-comment-285-1 ὡς … ἕξειν ⁶⁶

mvp-comment-285-2 ὡς … θεοὺς ἕξειν ⁶⁷

mvp-comment-286-1 Since ἔγωγε is virtually one word, this v. cannot be regarded as an instance of γε used twice in the same sentence. Such repetition is allowable when more than one word is to be emphasised, as Eur. Phoen. 554

ἐπεὶ τά γ’ ἀρκοῦνθ’ ἱκανὰ τοῖς γε σώφροσιν

, but no certain example happens to occur in Soph.: see on O. T. 1030 .

mvp-comment-287-1 The purport of this new oracle seems to have been: — "The welfare of Thebes depends on Oed., alive or dead." Ismene paraphrases it: — "It shows that you will be in request with the Thebans some day (

ποτέ

, i.e. some day soon , 397 ), — not merely after your death, but while you live." She knows that Creon is coming in the hope of carrying Oed. back — not to Thebes, but to some place just beyond the Theban border, where his person, and afterwards his grave, should be under Theban control. Cp. on .

mvp-comment-288-1 εὐσοίας ⁶⁸

mvp-comment-289-1 A and other MSS. have

τοιοῦδ’ ὑπ’

, which gives a clear constr. It seems arbitrary to assume that in L's reading

τίς δ’ ἂν τοιοῦδ’ ἀνδρὸς εὖ πράξειεν ἄν

the syllable lost was rather τι after τίς δ’ ἂν , the gen. being one of source. Herm. supports the latter view by O. T. 1006

σοῦ πρὸς δόμους ἐλθόντος εὖ πράξαιμί τι

, but there the gen. is absolute. Wecklein gives

τίς δ’ ἀντὶ τοιοῦδ’ ἀνδρὸς εὖ πράξειεν ἄν;

comparing

ἀνθ’ οὗ, ἀντὶ τοῦ

; but in such phrases

ἀντί

"in recompense for,"

not

"through the agency of."

mvp-comment-290-1 ἐν σοὶ ⁷⁰

mvp-comment-290-2 γίγνεσθαι ⁷¹

mvp-comment-290-3 φασί ⁷²

mvp-comment-290-4 κράτη ⁷³

mvp-comment-291-1 ἀνήρ ⁷⁴

mvp-comment-292-1 ὤλλυσαν ⁷⁵

mvp-comment-293-1 see on 1

mvp-comment-293-2 δ\ς πέσῃ ⁷⁶

mvp-comment-294-1 καὶ μὴν ⁷⁷

mvp-comment-294-2 γε ⁷⁸

mvp-comment-295-1 βαιοῦ … χρόνου ⁷⁹

mvp-comment-295-2 κοὐχὶ μ. ⁸⁰

mvp-comment-296-1 στήσωσι ⁸¹

mvp-comment-297-1 ὅρων ⁸²

mvp-comment-298-1 The tenor of this fine passage should be observed.

mvp-comment-298-2 Oedipus took

ἐν σοί

(392) to mean that the welfare of Thebes depended on his presence there. He is thinking of a restoration to his Theban home (395) . He asks, therefore, —"Of what use can I be to them if I am left at their doors, and not received within their land?" "They will suffer," she replies, "if your tomb is neglected." Oedipus does not see the force of this answer: he still infers (from θανόντα in 390 ) that, whatever may be his doom in life, he is at least to be buried at Thebes. "Why, of course they will," he replies (403) . " So " — pursues the daughter (404) — "they mean to keep you within their grasp." A new suspicion flashes on him. "They will bury me at Thebes?" "It cannot be." That is enough. He will never give himself into their hands. — Remark that he was supposing Apollo's former decree (91) to have been cancelled by this later one (389) . He now sees that the new oracle does not cancel the former, but merely confirms it in one aspect, viz. in the promise of

ἄτην τοῖς πέμψασιν

(93) .

mvp-comment-298-3 θύρασι ⁸³

mvp-comment-298-4 κειμένου ⁸⁴

mvp-comment-299-1 κείνοις ⁸⁵ βαρύς ⁸⁶

mvp-comment-299-2 δυστυχῶν ⁸⁷

mvp-comment-300-1 Cp. O. T. 398

γνώμῃ κυρήσας οὐδ’ ἀπ’ οἰωνῶν μαθών

. It needed no oracle to tell one that they would incur divine anger for neglecting the first duties of piety towards their late king.

mvp-comment-301-1 σε προσθέσθαι ⁸⁸

mvp-comment-301-2 ἂν … κρατοῖς ⁸⁹

mvp-comment-302-1 καὶ ⁹⁰

mvp-comment-303-1 τοὔμφυλον αἷμα ⁹¹

mvp-comment-304-1 συναλλαγῆς ⁹²

mvp-comment-305-1 σοῖς … τάφοις ⁹³

mvp-comment-306-1 θεωρῶν ⁹⁴

mvp-comment-306-2 ἑστίας ⁹⁵

mvp-comment-307-1 ἐφ’ ἡμῖν ⁹⁶

mvp-comment-308-1 οἱ μολόντες ⁹⁷

mvp-comment-309-1 παίδων τις ⁹⁸

mvp-comment-310-1 καὶ εἶτα ⁹⁹

mvp-comment-310-2 τῶνδ’ ¹⁰⁰

mvp-comment-310-3 πάρος … προὔθεντο ¹⁰¹

mvp-comment-311-1 τοὐμοῦ πόθου ¹⁰²

mvp-comment-312-1 φέρω δ’ ὅμως ¹⁰³

mvp-comment-313-1 ἀλλ’ ¹⁰⁴

mvp-comment-313-2 σφιν ¹⁰⁵

mvp-comment-313-3 τὴν πεπρωμένην ¹⁰⁶

mvp-comment-314-1 ἐν δ’ ¹⁰⁷

mvp-comment-314-2 ἐν ἐμοί ¹⁰⁸

mvp-comment-315-1 κἀπαναίρονται ¹⁰⁹

mvp-comment-315-2 ἐπαναιροῦνται δόρυ ¹¹⁰

mvp-comment-316-1 ὡς ¹¹¹

mvp-comment-317-1 οἵ γε ¹¹²

mvp-comment-318-1 ἀτίμως ¹¹³

mvp-comment-319-1 οὐκ ἔσχον ¹¹⁴

mvp-comment-319-2 ἤμυναν ¹¹⁵

mvp-comment-319-3 ἀνάστατος ¹¹⁶

mvp-comment-320-1 αὐτοῖν ¹¹⁷

mvp-comment-320-2 ἐξεκηρύχθην ¹¹⁸

mvp-comment-321-1 εἴποις ἂν ¹¹⁹

mvp-comment-321-2 θέλοντι ¹²⁰

mvp-comment-321-3 τότε ¹²¹

mvp-comment-322-1 The ι in L's κατηίνυσεν speaks for κατῄνεσεν ,— clearly much fitter here than κατήνυσεν . Cp. 1633

καταίνεσον

, 1637

κατῄνεσεν

. The contrast is between exile imposed as a doom or granted as a boon,—not merely between a wish fulfilled or unfulfilled.

mvp-comment-323-1 ἡμέραν ¹²²

mvp-comment-323-2 τὴν αὐτίχ’ ¹²³

mvp-comment-324-1 λευσθῆναι πέτροις ¹²⁴

mvp-comment-325-1 ἔρωτ’ ἐς τόνδ’ ¹²⁶

mvp-comment-326-1 πέπων ¹²⁷

mvp-comment-327-1 ἐκδραμόντα ¹²⁹

mvp-comment-328-1 The gen. might be taken with μείζω , "a chastiser greater than the sins," i.e. "severer than they merited" (

ἢ κατὰ τὰ ἡμαρτ

.); but it is simpler to take it with κολαστήν , "too great a chastiser of the sins." As

μέγας θυμός

is "violent anger," so

θυμός

which is over-violent can be called

μείζων κολαστής

. The rhythm of the verse will not permit us to disjoin

μείζω

(as by a comma) from

κολαστήν

mvp-comment-329-1 τὸ τηνίκ’ ἤδη ¹³⁰

mvp-comment-329-2 τοῦτο μέν ¹³²

mvp-comment-330-1 χρόνιον ¹³³

mvp-comment-330-2 ἐπωφελεῖν ¹³⁴

mvp-comment-331-1 οἱ τοῦ πατρὸς τῷ πατρί ¹³⁵

mvp-comment-331-2 τὸ δρᾶν ¹³⁶

mvp-comment-332-1 ἔπους σμικροῦ χάριν ¹³⁷

mvp-comment-333-1 σφιν ¹³⁸

mvp-comment-334-1 τοῖνδε ¹³⁹

mvp-comment-335-1 τροφάς ¹⁴⁰

mvp-comment-336-1 γῆς ἄδειαν ¹⁴¹

mvp-comment-336-2 Nauck's

στέγης τ’ ἄδειαν

seems too suggestive of a fixed home to suit

τὸν πλανήτην

(3): Wecklein's

κοίτης τ’ ἄδειαν

makes a detail too prominent in this general acknowledgment. With regard to

βλάβης τ’

κἄτης ἄδειαν

(Blaydes), remark that

ἄδεια

never occurs with a gen. of that against which one is safe. The καὶ before

γῆς

seems genuine: were it absent, the

καὶ

before

τροφὰς

must answer to that before

γένους

. And, for a rhetorical passage, γῆς is in some degree confirmed by the assonance with

γένους

mvp-comment-336-3 γένους ¹⁴²

mvp-comment-337-1 The constr. is, εἱλέσθην θρόνους, καὶ κραίνειν σκῆπτρα , etc.

mvp-comment-337-2 κραίνειν ¹⁴³

mvp-comment-337-3 σκῆπτρα ¹⁴⁴

mvp-comment-338-1 As most editors since Elmsley have allowed, the MS. οὔ τι ... οὔτε cannot be right. And οὔ τι ... οὐδέ is clearly more forcible than οὔτε ... οὔτε .

mvp-comment-338-2 λάχωσι ¹⁴⁵

mvp-comment-338-3 τοῦδε ¹⁴⁶

mvp-comment-338-4 συμμάχου ¹⁴⁷

mvp-comment-339-1 The oracle newly brought by Ismene is distinguished from the oracle given to Oedipus himself at Delphi in former years (see on 87

). He calls the former her oracle, because she brings it. Both oracles alike concern him. We must not, then, change τἀξ to τἀπ’ (

"concerning me"

mvp-comment-339-2 τὰ ἐξ ἐμοῦ παλαίφατα ¹⁴⁸

mvp-comment-339-3 ἐξ ¹⁴⁹

mvp-comment-340-1 ἤνυσεν ¹⁵⁰

mvp-comment-341-1 ὁμοῦ | προστάτισι ¹⁵¹

mvp-comment-341-2 In the reading

θέλητέ μου

πρὸς ταῖσι ταῖς

, note these points: (1)

ἀλκήν μου ποιεῖσθαι

would not mean, "defend me," but rather "defend against me" (cp. on ): we must at least have μοι . (2) πρός yields no tolerable sense.

ὑμεῖς, πρὸς ταῖς θεαῖς

, "ye, in addition to the goddesses," ranks the Coloniates with, or above, their deities. The gloss

σύν

, written in L over

πρός

(whence it came into other MSS.), was a palliative. Nor could

πρός

mean here, "close to their shrine."

mvp-comment-341-3 For Dindorf's

ὁμοῦ

προστάτισι

it may be urged:—(1)

ταῖσι ταῖς

is in all MSS., which would be strange if

ταῖσδε ταῖς

were genuine; while

πρὸς ταῖσι ταῖς

is simply explained by

προστά

(

)

ισι ταῖς

. (2) A change of

προστάτισι

into

πρὸς ταῖσι

might have produced the change of

‐θ’ ὁμοῦ

into

‐τέ μου

. (3) After

ἐμοῦ

in 455 it is easy to dispense with the pronoun.—Cp. O. T. 882

θεὸν οὐ λήξω ποτὲ προστάταν ἴσχων

: Tr. 209

Ἀπόλλωνα προστάταν

: Porphyry Antr. Nymph. 12

νύμφαις ὑδάτων προστάτισιν

mvp-comment-342-1 δημούχοις ¹⁵²

mvp-comment-343-1 ἀλκὴν ποεῖσθαι ¹⁵³

mvp-comment-344-1 ἀρεῖσθε ¹⁵⁴

mvp-comment-344-2 The ἐμῆς in L (where

τῆσδ’

perh. preceded

τοῖσδ’

) gives some colour to the conjecture

τῆς

(or

τοῖς

)

δὲ γῆς

: yet τοῖς δ’ ἐμοῖς seems right. Oedipus is following the train of thought in which benefits to Attica are bound up with retribution for his own wrongs ( 92 ); and he thus gives the Chorus another pledge that their interest is one with his. With

ἐμοῖς, τῇδε μὲν

is best in 459 : with

γῆς, τῇδε τῇ

would have been fitter.

mvp-comment-345-1 ἐπάξιος ¹⁵⁵

mvp-comment-345-2 κατοικτίσαι ¹⁵⁶

mvp-comment-346-1 αὐτός τε παῖδές θ’ ¹⁵⁷

mvp-comment-347-1 ἐπεμβάλλεις ¹⁵⁸

mvp-comment-347-2 τῷδε λόγῳ ¹⁵⁹

mvp-comment-348-1 Editors usu. give either

ὡς νῦν , θοῦ νῦν

(with L), or

ὥς νυν ...θοῦ νυν

(as Elms.). But νυν seems best in 465 , νῦν in 466 .

mvp-comment-348-2 προξένει ¹⁶⁰

mvp-comment-348-3 ὡς … τελοῦντι ¹⁶¹

mvp-comment-349-1 καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων ¹⁶²

mvp-comment-350-1 The libation is due (1) as a greeting to the

θεοὶ ἐγχώριοι

of Attica, (2) as an atonement for trespass on the grove. The words

καὶ κατέστειψας πέδον

form an independent sentence, and not a second relative clause (as if

ὧν

were supplied from

ἐφ’ ἅς

): see on .

mvp-comment-350-2 κατέστειψας ¹⁶³

mvp-comment-351-1 ἀειρύτου ¹⁶⁴

mvp-comment-352-1 δῑ ὁσίων χειρῶν ¹⁶⁵

mvp-comment-353-1 τοῦτο ¹⁶⁶

mvp-comment-353-2 ἀκήρατον ¹⁶⁷

mvp-comment-354-1 κρατῆρές εἰσιν ¹⁶⁸

mvp-comment-354-2 εὔχειρος ¹⁷⁰

mvp-comment-354-3 τέχνη ¹⁷¹

mvp-comment-355-1 The crater had various forms, some of them local (thus Her. 4.61 speaks of a

Λέσβιος κρητήρ

, and 4. 152 of an

Ἀργολικός

): but the general type was that of a large bowl, supported by a foot with a broad base, and having a handle at each side (cp. Guhl and Koner, p. 150).

mvp-comment-355-2 κρᾶτ’ ¹⁷²

mvp-comment-355-3 λαβὰς ἀμφιστόμους ¹⁷³

mvp-comment-356-1 θαλλοῖσιν ¹⁷⁴

mvp-comment-357-1 The MS. νεαρᾶς seems the right word: with Bellermann, I insert σὺ , though Wecklein's τε is also possible. For the iterated

νεο‐

cp. Ant. 157

νεοχμὸς νεαραῖσι θεῶν

ἐπὶ συντυχίαις

. The objection to γε is that it supposes κρόκαισιν to be the genus of which μαλλῷ is a species. μαλλός , however, means, not a woollen texture, but a fleece of wool, flocks of which were to be made into a festoon ( στέφος ) for the brim of the κρατήρ , like that which the suppliant put on his ἱκετηρία ( O. T. 3 ). νεώρους is tempting, but elsewhere means "recent," "fresh" ( 730 , El. 901 ), not "young." The drawback to Dindorf's νεαλοῦς is the sense. νεαλής in class. Attic meant not young , but fresh as opp. to exhausted : Xen. Cyr. 8.6.17

παραλαμβάνειν τοὺς ἀπειρηκότας ἵππους καὶ ἀνθρώπους καὶ ἄλλους πέμπειν νεαλεῖς

. Plat. Polit. 265B

νεαλέστεροι ὄντες

(we shall travel better) while we are fresh. Aristoph. fr. 330

ἕως νεαλής ἐστιν αὐτὴν τὴν ἀκμήν

is an isolated line, but the word seems to have the same sense there. Nicander Alexipharmaca 358 ( circ. 150 B.C. ) is the first writer quoted for νεαλής as = "young."

mvp-comment-357-2 λαβών ¹⁷⁵

mvp-comment-358-1 τὸ δ’ ἔνθεν ¹⁷⁶

mvp-comment-358-2 ποῖ τελ. ¹⁷⁷

mvp-comment-359-1 χοὰς χέασθαι ¹⁷⁸

mvp-comment-359-2 πρὸς πρώτην ἕω ¹⁷⁹

mvp-comment-359-3 The schol. here says that persons performing expiatory rites (

ἐκθύσεις

) or purifications (

καθαρμοί

) faced the East (as the region of light and purity), quoting El. 424 f., where Electra

ἡλίῳ | δείκνυσι τοὔναρ

, and Cratinus

ἐν Χείρωνι

(the title of the comedy was

Χείρωνες

, Bothe, Frag. Com. p. 47):

ἄγε δὴ πρὸς ἕω πρῶτον ἁπάντων ἵστω καὶ λάμβανε χερσὶ | σχῖνον μεγάλην

,—the squill being used in purifications.

mvp-comment-359-4 Statues of gods were oft. set to face the East ( Paus. 5.23.1 , etc.): also, victims about to be sacrificed ( Sen. Oed. 338 ). Cp. the precept of Zoroaster

"to face some luminous object while worshipping god"

(Max Müller, Chips 1. 175). Conversely, in pronouncing solemn curses the priests faced the West ,—waving red banners: [Lys.] In Andoc. § 51

στάντες κατηράσαντο πρὸς ἑσπέραν καὶ φοινικίδας ἀνέσεισαν

mvp-comment-360-1 κρωσσοῖς ¹⁸⁰

mvp-comment-360-2 οἷς ¹⁸¹

mvp-comment-360-3 χέω ¹⁸²

mvp-comment-361-1 πηγάς ¹⁸³

mvp-comment-361-2 τρισσάς ¹⁸⁴

mvp-comment-361-3 τὸν τελευτ ¹⁸⁵

mvp-comment-362-1 θῶ ¹⁸⁶

mvp-comment-363-1 μελίσσης ¹⁸⁷

mvp-comment-363-2 προσφέρειν ¹⁸⁸

mvp-comment-364-1 μελάμφυλλος ¹⁸⁹

mvp-comment-365-1 αὐτῇ ¹⁹⁰

mvp-comment-365-2 ἐξ ἀμφοῖν χεροῖν ¹⁹¹

mvp-comment-366-1 ἐπεύχεσθαι ¹⁹²

mvp-comment-367-1 τούτων ¹⁹³

mvp-comment-367-2 μέγιστα ¹⁹⁴

mvp-comment-368-1 Εὐμενίδας ¹⁹⁵

mvp-comment-368-2 ἐξ ¹⁹⁶

mvp-comment-369-1 τὸν ἱκέτην ¹⁹⁷

mvp-comment-369-2 σωτήριον ¹⁹⁸

mvp-comment-370-1 σύ τ’ ¹⁹⁹

mvp-comment-371-1 ἄπυστα ²⁰⁰

mvp-comment-371-2 μηκύνων ²⁰²

mvp-comment-372-1 ἀφέρπειν ²⁰³

mvp-comment-372-2 ἄστροφος ²⁰⁴

mvp-comment-373-1 παρασταίην ²⁰⁵

mvp-comment-374-1 προσχώρων ²⁰⁶

mvp-comment-375-1 ὁδωτά ²⁰⁷

mvp-comment-375-2 λείπομαι ²⁰⁸

mvp-comment-375-3 ἐν ²⁰⁹

mvp-comment-376-1 δύνασθαι ²¹⁰

mvp-comment-377-1 ἀρκεῖν … παρῇ ²¹¹

mvp-comment-378-1 ἀλλ’ ἐν τάχει τι ²¹²

mvp-comment-379-1 δίχα ²¹³

mvp-comment-380-1 τελοῦσα ²¹⁴

mvp-comment-380-2 τὸν τόπον ²¹⁵

mvp-comment-381-1 χρῆσται ²¹⁶

mvp-comment-381-2 τοῦτο ²¹⁷

mvp-comment-382-1 ἄλσους ²¹⁸

mvp-comment-383-1 ἔποικος ²¹⁹

mvp-comment-384-1 Ἀντιγόνη, σὺ δ’ ²²⁰

mvp-comment-385-1 οὐδ’ ²²¹

mvp-comment-387-1 κείμενον … ἐπεγείρειν ²²²

mvp-comment-388-1 Mekler's ὥρα με (for ἔραμαι ) would give a closer correspondence between strophe and antistrophe: see on 523

mvp-comment-389-1 τί τοῦτο ²²³

mvp-comment-390-1 τᾶς ²²⁴

mvp-comment-390-2 ἀπόρου φανείσας ²²⁵

mvp-comment-391-1 ᾇ ξυνέστας ²²⁶

mvp-comment-392-1 τᾶς σᾶς ἃ πέπονθ’ ²²⁷

mvp-comment-392-2 ἔργ’ ²²⁸

mvp-comment-393-1 τὸ πολὺ καὶ μηδαμὰ λῆγον ἄκουσμα χρῄξω ἀκοῦσαι ὀρθόν ²²⁹

mvp-comment-393-2 πολὺ ²³⁰

mvp-comment-393-3 μηδαμὰ ²³¹

mvp-comment-393-4 λῆγον ²³²

mvp-comment-393-5 ἄκουσμα ²³³

mvp-comment-394-1 στέρξον ²³⁴

mvp-comment-395-1 κἀγὼ ²³⁵

mvp-comment-396-1 I read

ἤνεγκ’ οὖν κακότατ’,... ἤνεγκ’ ἀέκων . ἤνεγκον

was, indeed, the ordinary form of the aor. in the older Attic, as inscriptions show, in which

ἤνεγκα

occurs first about 360 B.C. (Meisterhans, p. 88); but

ἤνεγκα

is proved by metre in El. 13 and Eur. Ion 38 .

οὖν

is suitable, when he is reluctantly proceeding to unfold his story in answer to their pressing demand.

mvp-comment-396-2 ἤνεγκ’ ²³⁶

mvp-comment-396-3 κακότατ’ ²³⁷

mvp-comment-396-4 In the MS. reading,

ἤνεγκον—ἤνεγκον ἄκων μέν, ἄκων

is wrong, since metre requires u- (cp. 510). With Bothe's ἑκὼν the sense would be:—

"I have endured misery through acts which were my own, indeed: but not one of them was done knowingly."

The objections to this are insuperable. (1)

mvp-comment-396-5 θεὸς ἴστω ²³⁸

mvp-comment-396-6 It would be a subtlety foreign to Sophocles to make Oedipus say that he had acted

ἑκὼν

when he did not act

φρονῶν

(271),

εἰδώς

(273),

ξυνιείς

(976). Il. 4.43

καὶ γὰρ ἐγὼ σοὶ δῶκα ἑκὼν ἀέκοντί γε θυμῷ

is irrelevant:— Zeus there says to Hera

"I have given thee this (thy pleasure touching Troy) of my free will "

(since neither god nor man could compel Zeus),

"yet against mine own wish. "

mvp-comment-397-1 αὐθαίρετον ²³⁹

mvp-comment-398-1 κακᾷ εὐνᾷ ²⁴⁰

mvp-comment-399-1 ἦ ματρόθεν … ἐπλήσω ²⁴¹

mvp-comment-399-2 ματρόθεν ²⁴²

mvp-comment-400-1 ἀκούειν ²⁴³

mvp-comment-401-1 The constr. is

αὗται δὲ ἐξ ἐμοῦ δύο μὲν παῖδε, δύο δ’ ἄτα … ἀπέβλαστον

etc.

mvp-comment-401-2 ἐξ ἐμοῦ ²⁴⁴

mvp-comment-401-3 αὗται … παῖδε ²⁴⁵

mvp-comment-402-1 Poetical Greek idiom would join κοινᾶς with ὠδῖνος rather than with ματρός . Cp. Aesch. Eum. 325

ματρῷον ἅγνισμα κύριον φόνου

: Ant. 793

νεῖκος ἀνδρῶν ξύναιμον.

mvp-comment-402-2 κοινᾶς ²⁴⁶

mvp-comment-403-1 σαί τ’ εἴσ’ ἄῤ ²⁴⁷

mvp-comment-403-2 κοιναί ²⁴⁸

mvp-comment-403-3 πατρὸς ²⁴⁹

mvp-comment-404-1 ἰώ — ἰὼ δῆτα ²⁵⁰

mvp-comment-404-2 γε ²⁵¹

mvp-comment-404-3 ἐπιστροφαί ²⁵²

mvp-comment-405-1 ἄλαστ’ ἔχειν ²⁵³

mvp-comment-406-1 οὐκ ἔρεξα ²⁵⁴

mvp-comment-406-2 τί γάρ ²⁵⁵

mvp-comment-407-1 δῶρον ²⁵⁶

mvp-comment-407-2 The MS. ἐπωφέλησα ,

"I benefited,"

"succoured"

(cp. 441), cannot be right. The sense required is

μήποτε ὤφελον ἐξελέσθαι

"would that I had never won!"

cp. Ph. 969

μήποτ’ ὤφελον λιπεῖν | τὴν Σκῦρον

: Od. 11.548

ὡς δὴ μὴ ὄφελον νικᾶν

: where

μή

, though thus placed, belongs to the infinitives. See Appendix for the attempted explanations of

ἐπωφέλησα

, and for some proposed emendations.

mvp-comment-407-3 I would read the partic. ἐπωφελήσας (which the iambic metre allows), and take ἐξελέσθαι as the absol. infin. expressing a wish:—

"and would that I had never received that choice gift from the city, for having served her."

For this absol. infin., with the subject in the nominative, cp. Aesch. Cho. 363:

ΗΛ. μηδ’ ὑπὸ Τρωΐας

τείχεσι φθίμενος, πάτερ,

μετ’ ἄλλων δουρικμῆτι λαῷ

παρὰ Σκαμάνδρου πόρον τεθάφθαι,

πάρος δ’ οἱ κτανόντες νιν οὕτως δαμῆναι

. Orestes had uttered the wish that Agamemnon had fallen in war at Troy:

εἰ γὰρ ὑπ’ Ἰλίῳ | … κατηναρίσθης

(345 ff.) . Electra modifies it:

"I would not have had thee to perish e'en beneath Troy's walls, and to be buried by Scamander's stream; would rather that the murderers (Aegisthus and Clytaemnestra) had first been slain as they slew thee!"

Here the MSS. have

τέθαψαι

and

δαμῆναι

. On the latter the schol. has

λείπει τὸ ὄφελον

, and on the former

λείπει τὸ ὤφελες

, thus indicating the certain correction of H. L. Ahrens,

τεθάφθαι

. Cp. also Od. 24.376

αἲ γάρ, Ζεῦ τε πάτερ καὶ Ἀθηναίη καὶ Ἄπολλον,

οἷος Νήρικον εἷλον, …

τοῖος ἐών τοι χθιζὸς ἐν ἡμετέροισι δόμοισιν,

τεύχε’ ἔχων ὤμοισιν, ἐφεστάμεναι καὶ ἀμύνειν,

"Ah, would to father Zeus,...that, such as I was when I took Nericus,...in such might, and with armour on my shoulders, I had stood by thee , and had been aiding thee , yesterday in our house!"

A criticism by Wecklein is discussed in the Appendix.

mvp-comment-407-4 ἐξελέσθαι ²⁵⁷

mvp-comment-408-1 τί γάρ ²⁵⁸

mvp-comment-409-1 δευτέραν ²⁵⁹

mvp-comment-410-1 ἔχει δέ μοι … πρὸς δίκας τι ²⁶⁰

mvp-comment-410-2 τί γάρ ²⁶¹

mvp-comment-411-1 The MSS. give

καὶ γὰρ ἄλλους ἐφόνευσα κ.τ.λ.

Hermann's ἁλοὺς (for

ἄλλους

) must mean either (1)

"caught,"

as in a net, by fate , or (2)

"caught"

by Laïus and his men, in the sense of,

"driven to fight for life."

Neither sense is tolerable. Campbell suggests,

"I murdered, and was convicted of the murder,"

saying that

ἁλοὺς ἐφόνευσα

ἑάλων φονεύσας

. This is as if one said in English,

"Having been hanged, he did the murder."

To ἀγνώς the short

α^

would be a grave objection: Soph. has the first

long thrice in

ἄγνοια

, twice in

ἀγνοεῖν

, once in

ἀγνώς

( O. T. 681 ), and short never: even in

αὐτόγνωτος

( Ant. 875 ) the

is long. Porson's ἄνους could hardly mean,

"without understanding"

merely in the sense of

" unwittingly. "

The word means

"silly,"

"foolish"

( Ant. 281 ), and should here mean,

"in folly,"

which is not an apt sense.

mvp-comment-411-2 And all these corrections, confined to ἄλλους , leave a blot. After ἐφόνευσα, καὶ ὤλεσα is intolerably weak. Mekler's καὶ γὰρ ἄν, οὓς ἐφόνευς), ἔμ’ ἀπώλεσαν brings out the point on which Oed. insists, and to which the words

νόμῳ καθαρός

(548) refer,—viz. that, in slaying, he was defending his own life. Cp. 271. After he had returned the blow of Laïus, the attendants set on him (see on O. T. 804 —812). The change of

ἐφόνευσ’ ἔμ’ ἀπώλεσαν

into

ἐφόνευσα καὶ ἀπώλεσα

(or

κἀπώλεσα

) would have been easy if

ἐφόνευσά μ’ ἀπώλεσα

had once been written. In Ai. 794 L has

ὥστε κ’ ὠδίνειν

instead of

ὥστε μ’ ὠδίνειν

. Cp. Her. 1.11 (Gyges was forced)

ἢ τὸν δεσπότεα ἀπολλύναι ἢ αὐτὸν ὑπ’ ἄλλων ἀπόλλυσθαι

mvp-comment-412-1 νόμῳ … καθαρός ²⁶²

mvp-comment-412-2 ἐς τόδ’ ἦλθον ²⁶³

mvp-comment-414-1 ὀμφήν ²⁶⁴

mvp-comment-414-2 ἐφ’ ἁστάλη ²⁶⁵

mvp-comment-415-1 The

σκοπός

, who did not know the name of Oed., could describe the traces of wounds about the sightless eyes, and brought the mysterious message (72). Theseus then set out, surmising who it was. Meanwhile the name of Oed. had become known at Colonus (222), and wayfarers who met Theseus raised his surmise into certain knowledge. Cp. on ff.

mvp-comment-415-2 ἔν τε ²⁶⁶

mvp-comment-416-1 ἔγνωκά ς’ ²⁶⁷

mvp-comment-416-2 ἔγνωκα ²⁶⁸

mvp-comment-417-1 ἀκούων ²⁶⁹

mvp-comment-417-2 For

ἀκούων

it may be pleaded that the sense is at least quite intelligible, and that ancient writers, even the most artistic, were less careful than moderns in avoiding such repetitions of single words. Cp. 631

ἐκβάλοι

, 636

ἐκβαλῶ

: 638, 640

ἡδύ

: 966, 969

ἐπεί

: 1000, 1003

καλόν

, 1004

καλῶς

: 1123, 1129: 1451, 1459: 1487 f.: O. T. 517

φέρον

, 519

φέροντι

, 520

φέρει

: ib. 1276, 1278

ὁμοῦ

: Ant. 73 , 76

κείσομαι

: Ai. 1201 , 1204 (

τέρψιν

mvp-comment-418-1 σκευή ²⁷⁰

mvp-comment-418-2 δύστηνον ²⁷¹

mvp-comment-419-1 ὄνθ’ ὃς εἶ ²⁷²

mvp-comment-420-1 )περέσθαι ²⁷³

mvp-comment-421-1 ἐπέστης ²⁷⁴

mvp-comment-421-2 πόλεως … ἐμοῦ τ; ²⁷⁵

mvp-comment-422-1 ἂν … τύχοις … ἐξαφισταίμην ²⁷⁶

mvp-comment-422-2 πρᾶξιν ²⁷⁷

mvp-comment-423-1 ξένος ²⁷⁸

mvp-comment-424-1 καὶ ὡς ἤθλησα πλεῖστα εἷς ἀνήρ ²⁷⁹

mvp-comment-424-2 ἐπὶ ξένης ²⁸⁰

mvp-comment-425-1 κινδυνεύματ’ ²⁸¹

mvp-comment-425-2 ἐν τὠμῷ κάρᾳ ²⁸² κάρᾳ ²⁸³

mvp-comment-426-1 ξένον ²⁸⁴

mvp-comment-426-2 συνεκσῴζειν ²⁸⁵

mvp-comment-427-1 ἀνὴρ ²⁸⁶

mvp-comment-428-1 δοῦ ²⁸⁷

mvp-comment-429-1 τὸ σὸν γενναῖον ²⁸⁸

mvp-comment-430-1 παρῆκεν ²⁸⁹

mvp-comment-430-2 ὥστε ἐμοὶ δεῖσθαι ²⁹⁰

mvp-comment-430-3 δεῖσθαι ²⁹¹

mvp-comment-430-4 For the dat. ἐμοί with

δεῖσθαι

(instead of

ἐμέ

as subj. to

φράσαι

) cp. Eur. Hipp. 940

θεοῖσι προσβαλεῖν χθονὶ | ἄλλην δεήσει γαῖαν

: and see on . Wecklein takes

ἐμοί

with

παρῆκεν

, permisit mihi , but the interposed ὥστε forbids this. The conject. σοι (for

ἐμοί

"to say little to thee ,"

would be very weak.

mvp-comment-431-1 Theseus has named Oed. (557) and Laïus (553), but not Thebes. A knowledge of the stranger's country was implied by the rest. Cp. on 205

. γῆς could stand with

ἦλθον

(cp. O. T. 152

Πυθῶνος ἔβας

, Ph. 630

νεὼς ἄγοντα

), but is more simply governed by

ἀπὸ

mvp-comment-432-1 χὡ λόγος διοίχεται ²⁹²

mvp-comment-432-2 διέρχεται ²⁹⁴

mvp-comment-433-1 τοῦτ’ αὐτὸ ²⁹⁵

mvp-comment-434-1 τὰ δὲ | κέρδη ²⁹⁶

mvp-comment-435-1 που ²⁹⁷

mvp-comment-436-1 ποίῳ ²⁹⁸

mvp-comment-436-2 προσφορὰ ²⁹⁹

mvp-comment-436-3 δηλώσεται ³⁰⁰

mvp-comment-437-1 i.e.

"You ask for the last offices which piety can render: you do not ask me for protection during your lifetime."

Through the oracle (389), of which Theseus knows nothing, a grave in Attica had become the supreme concern of Oedipus.

mvp-comment-437-2 τὰ δ’ ἐν μέσῳ ³⁰¹

mvp-comment-437-3 δῑ οὐδενὸς ποεῖ ³⁰²

mvp-comment-438-1 ἐνταῦθα γάρ ³⁰³

mvp-comment-439-1 ἐν βραχεῖ ³⁰⁴

mvp-comment-440-1 γε μήν ³⁰⁵

mvp-comment-441-1 πότερα ³⁰⁶

mvp-comment-441-2 ἐγγενῶν ³⁰⁷

mvp-comment-441-3 κἀμοῦ ³⁰⁸

mvp-comment-442-1 Kayser's ἄναξ, χρῄζουσι (for ἀναγκάζουσι ) is exactly what the sense requires, and is fairly near to the MS. reading, while the latter is (I think) certainly corrupt. The verse must not be considered alone, but in close connection with 590, and with the whole context. It has been rendered:—(1)

"They are for compelling ( my protectors ) to convey me to Thebes."

But the ellipse of

τινά

before

κομίζειν

is intolerable. And the protectors could not be required to do more than surrender him. Therefore it is no cure to propose εἴ σ’ (for

κεῖσ’

)

ἀναγκάσουσί με

. To read

σε

for

με

merely shifts the first difficulty, and leaves the second. (2)

"They are for putting constraint on me, so as to carry (me) to Thebes."

Such an epexegesis by the act. infin. is impossible here. Who could write

ἀναγκάζει σε ἄγειν ἐκεῖσε

, meaning,

"he is forcing thee, so as to take (thee) thither"

? (3)

κομίζειν

has been taken as=

"to return,"

κομίζεσθαι

. This needs no comment. We want either: (1) instead of κομίζειν , a word=

" to return "

; but

κατελθεῖν

is very unlikely, and no other substitute is obvious: or (2) instead of ἀναγκάζουσι , a word =

"they wish , seek. "

That the fault lies in

ἀναγκάζουσι

is very strongly suggested by 590, where L has ἀλλ’ εἰ θέλοντ’ ἄν γ’ , evidently corrupted, by dittographia of

γ’

, from

ἀλλ’ εἰ θέλοντά γ’

, which L2 has. This gives a clear and fitting sense, if in 589 we read ἄναξ, χρῄζουσί με . All the trouble, for the MSS. and for the edd., has arisen from

ἀναγκάζουσι

. Hence (1) Goebel, ἀλλ’ οὐ θελόντων ,

"but if they do not wish thee"

(

φεύγειν

): (2) Reisig, ἀλλ’ εἰ θέλοντάς γ’ ,

"but what if it be not seemly for thee to shun them when willing (to receive thee)?"

Both these are forced. Campbell supplies

εἰ βούλοιντο κομίζειν

to explain

θέλοντα

, keeping L's

θέλοντ’ ἄν

: but

ἄν

can stand with a partic. only when the latter is equiv. to an apodosis, as it is in 761. So far as the tense of

ἀναγκάζουσι

is concerned, a change to the fut. is no gain: it is the pres. of tendency or intention. But the whole mention of compulsion or violence is premature in 589. Oed. leads very gently up to the disclosure of his sons' unnatural conduct (599).

mvp-comment-443-1 οὐδὲ σοὶ ³⁰⁹

mvp-comment-443-2 οὐδέ ³¹⁰

mvp-comment-443-3 φεύγειν ³¹¹

mvp-comment-444-1 ἀλλ’ οὐδ’ ³¹²

mvp-comment-444-2 παρίεσαν ³¹³

mvp-comment-445-1 θυμὸς δ’ ³¹⁴

mvp-comment-445-2 ξύμφορον ³¹⁵

mvp-comment-446-1 μάθῃς μου ³¹⁶

mvp-comment-447-1 ξυμφορὰν ³¹⁷

mvp-comment-447-2 ἐρεῖς ³¹⁸

Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879) (OCR draft) (Commentary (Lewis Campbell, 1879)) focus

328-331. mvp-comment-185-1 Editors since Musgrave, who followed the Scholiast's hint, μὴ ἄρα πρὸς τὸ δυσαθλία; have transposed these lines, placing 328 between 330 and 331, on the ground that Ismene cannot be supposed to touch herself. Not much is gained by this: for Ismene is rather struck by the contrast of her father's and her sister's mode of life to her own at Thebes than by the misery she shares with them. And the construction of a reply, in this sort of dialogue, is not to be pressed too closely. Cp. amongst other passages, El. 1036, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν ἐπίστω γ' οἱ μ᾿ ἀτιμίας ἄγεις. | ΧΡ. ἀτιμίας μὲν οὔ.

328-331. mvp-comment-185-2 προμηθίας δὲ σοῦ, where προμηθίας has really no construction. Perhaps all that is meant is, I too am linked in this unhappy circle. For δυσάθλιαι, which has been questioned, cp. δυστάλαινα, δυσπόνητος, δυσθρήνητος.

331. mvp-comment-186-1 δυσμόρου δ' And you must include me, unhappy. Cp. Eur. Hipp. 341, τρίτη δ᾽ ἐγὼ δύστηνος ὡς ἀπόλλυμαι. There is no reason for changing δέ το τε.

333. mvp-comment-187-1 λόγοις The meaning of the dative is varied from the cause to the concomitant. By reason of longings? Yes, and also with intelligence, which I myself would bring. The reading λόγων is probably an early conjecture. The repetition of the same construction in a slightly different sense is frequent in the language of this period.

334. mvp-comment-188-1 ξύν, κ.τ.λ. is said by attraction for ξὺν τούτῳ, ὅνπερ εἶχον πιστὸν μόνον.

335. mvp-comment-189-1 πονεῖν i. e. εἰς τὸ πονεῖν. And what is become of the young men your brothers in the matter of this service? Cp infr. 342, οὓς μὲν εἰκὸς ἦν πονεῖν τάδε. A similar construction occurs in Eur. Οr. 1473, ποῦ δῆτ᾽ ἀμύνειν οἱ κατὰ στέγας Φρύγες; cp. Il. 13.312, ἀμύνειν εἰσὶ καὶ ἄλλοι. ποῖ is more expressive than ποῦ (which there is no reason to suppose the Scholiast to have read in the text).

335. mvp-comment-189-2 ποῖ, SC. οἶχονται. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 405, ποῖ ποὶ δὴ νερτέρων τυραννίδες; For the implied negative in epexegesis expressing defect, i. e. πονεῖν = τὸ μὴ πονεῖν, see Essay on Language § 36. p. 63. The other explanation of the Scholiast, ποῦ τοῦ πονεῖν εἰσι, is not so good.

336. mvp-comment-190-1 They are, where they are. For similar expressions, implying something too bad to name, see О. Т. 1376, βλαστοῦσ᾽ ὅπως ἔβλαστε, and note.

336. mvp-comment-190-2 δεινὰ δ᾽ ἐν κείνοις τὰ νῦν Things are terrible with them now.' The Scholiast in saying vῦν δὲ τὰ ἐν ἐκείνοις δεῖνά ἐστιν implies this reading. Others read δεινὰ τὰν κείνοις τανῦν.

338. mvp-comment-191-1 φύσιν .. τροφάς In character and mode of life.

338. mvp-comment-191-2 Hdt. 2. 35, Αἰγύπτιοι.. τὰ πολλὰ πάντα ἔμπαλιν τοῖσι ἀλλοῖσι ἀνθρώποισι ἐστήσαντο ἤθεα καὶ νόμους.

338. mvp-comment-191-3 ἐν τοῖσι αἱ μὲν γυναῖκες ἀγοράζουσι καὶ καπηλεύουσι· οἱ δὴ ἄνδρες, κατ' οἴκους ἐόντες, ὑφαίνουσι.

341. mvp-comment-192-1 τάξω βίου τροφεῖα The outdoor means of supporting life. Cp.

341. mvp-comment-192-2 πυρεῖα, means of obtaining fire. There is a slight redundancy in βίου τροφεία. Cp. 343, κατ' οἶκον οἰκουροῦσιν, and see Essay on Language § 40. p. 75.

342. mvp-comment-193-1 σφῶν δ᾽ And in your case. Dat. of relation: i. e. You find it so. Some editors, taking σφῷν as gen., suppose the dual to be used of the two pairs of children.

344. mvp-comment-194-1 κακά For the accusative. see Essay on Language § 16. p. 23, and cp. O. T. 264, τάδ᾽ ὡσπερεὶ τοὐμοῦ πατρὸς | ὑπερμαχοῦμαι. δυστήνου (sc. ἐμοῦ) agrees κατὰ σύνεσιν with ἐμά, but is also resumed with ὑπερπονεῖτον.

345. mvp-comment-195-1 Antigone had followed her father as soon as she had the strength.

351. mvp-comment-196-1 ἡγεῖται The sentence returns to the indicative from the participial construction. Essay on Language p. 64. 1, b.

351. mvp-comment-196-2 τὰ τῆς οἴκοι διαίτης (1) The comforts of the life at home, or (2) What subsistence she herself may find; cp. Τr. 730, ᾧ μηδέν ἐστ᾽ οἴκοι βαρύ.

355. mvp-comment-197-1 ἃ τοῦδ᾽ ἐχρήσθη σώματος] 'Which were given respecting me. Essay on Language § 9. p. 13. The context shows that the oracle here referred to was one obtained by the Thebans respecting Oedipus after they had sent him forth. The plot of the O. C. does not permit us to suppose that Creon had waited for the response, according to O. T. 1438-1439, before hastening the king's exile. This oracle directed the course of Oedipus towards Athens.

356. mvp-comment-198-1 γῆς ὅτ᾽ ἐξηλαυνόμην The order of events is inverted in the narration. Essay on Language p. 78.

358. mvp-comment-199-1 τίς σ᾽ ἐξῆρεν οἴκοθεν στόλος A figurative inversion of the common expression, αἴρειν στόλον, What errand sped thee from home?

360. mvp-comment-200-1 μὴ οὐχί, κ.τ.λ. Added in explanation of κενή. οὐχί is added because of the previous oὔ. Essay on Language p. 49.

362. mvp-comment-201-1 Seeking how thou wast maintained or where.' ποῦ κατοικοίης defines the notion of τροφήν.

363. mvp-comment-202-1 παρεῖσ᾽ ἐάσω Cp. Ο. Τ. 283, μὴ παρῇς τὸ μὴ οὐ φράσαι.

365. mvp-comment-203-1 ἀμφὶ .. παίδοιν Dative. ‘Encompassing your wretched sons.'

367-369. mvp-comment-204-1 This passage has been generally regarded as corrupt, and ἦν ἔρις has been changed to ἦν ἔρως, ἦν ὅρος, ἤρεσεν. Some edd., including Meineke, who reads κραίνεσθαι, explain, They contended with Creon, urging that the throne should be left vacant. And the authors of the punctuation in AV³ and of the gloss ὁ τε πλεονάζει, must have so taken the words. But, as this gloss indicates, the expression Κρέοντί τε for πρὸς Κρέοντα is not quite natural or harmonious here. And the antithesis of ἔρις κακή in what follows, assisted by the parallelism of construction, ἐᾶσθαι.. λαβέσθαι. isstrongly in favour of the MS. reading. ἔρις may be supported by supposing the brothers to have jointly resisted a party amongst the citizens who desired that one of them should take his father's throne. Cp. Thuc. 6. 35, τοῖς δέ (sc. ἔρις ἦν). Beforetime their contention was that they should relinquish -to Creon their rights in the throne, and that the city should not suffer pollution; professing in their argument to have regard to the ancient ruin of their race, etc. ἐᾶσθαι is middle voice. Cp. λαβέσθαι infr. For λόγῳ, cp. infr. 1296, οὔτε νικήσας λόγῳ. And for τε.. μηδὲ Eur. Iph. Τ. 697, ὄνομά τ᾽ ἐμοῦ γένοιτ' ἂν οὐδ᾽ ἄπαις δόμος | πατρῷος οὑμὸς ἐξαλειφθείη ποτ᾿ ἄv. Essay on Language p. 65.

371. mvp-comment-205-1 *ἀλειτηροῦ Although ἀλιτήριος has the first short, ἀλειτηρός may be defended by comparing ἀλείτης, ἄλοιτος. Eustathius mentions ἀλιτηρός as a word used by Sophocles. If any change is needed, ἀλειτηροῦ, which is partly supported by the reading ἀλητηροῦ, is the most probable. The heaven-sent infatuation, which leads to their destruction, is assisted by their own evil mind.

374. mvp-comment-206-1 χὼ μὲν νεάζων And the younger spirit.' The participle implies youthful qualities (impetuosity, ambition etc.), as well as the fact of being the younger. Cp. Eur. Phoen. 713, μῶν νεάζων οὐχ ὁρᾷς ἃ χρή σ᾽ ὁρᾶν, addressed to Eteocles.

376. mvp-comment-207-1 Pherecydes and Hellanicus differed about this. See Schol. Eur. Phoen. 71.

377. mvp-comment-208-1 ὁ πληθύων Lit. the more numerous, i. e. having the majority of voices. Cp. Aesch. Ag. 860.

378. mvp-comment-209-1 τὸ κοῖλον Ἄργος The hollow vale of Argos. Cp. infr. 1301, Ἄργος ἐς τὸ Δωρικόν.

381. mvp-comment-210-1 ὡς αὐτίκ᾿Ἄργος κ.τ.λ. For the construction, see Essay on Language § 21. p. 44, and cp. O. T. 101, ὡς τόδ' αἷμα χειμάζον πόλιν. It has been suggested to read αὐτός for Ἄργος, (with καθέξων in 381), but the words express the motive held out to the Argive followers of Polynices, to whom he would naturally represent the struggle as one between their city and Thebes. Cp. infr. 1325, ἄγω τὸν Ἄργους ἄφοβον εἰς Θήβας στρατόν.

381. mvp-comment-210-2 τὸ Καδμεῖον πέδον Καδμεῖον here, as in Ο. Τ. 29, δῶμα Καδμεῖον, is the more poetical reading.

381. mvp-comment-210-3 τιμῇ καθέξον Το obtain with honour.' For τιμῇ = ἐντίμως, see Essay on Language § 14. p. 20.

381. mvp-comment-210-4 ἢ πρὸς οὐρανὸν βιβῶν Or to raise it to heaven. According to the frequent vaunt of the Homeric heroes, ἠε τῳ εὖχος ὀρέξομεν, ἠε τις ἡμῖν. ΙΙ. 12. 328, 13. 487. Cp. Aesch. S. c. T. 46. ἢ πόλει κατασκαφὰς θέντες λαπάξειν ἄστυ Καδμείων βίᾳ | ἢ γῆν θανόντες τήνδε φυράσειν φύνῳ. Should the expedition fail, the splendour of the Argive host would be the measure of the glory of the Cadmeans.

382. mvp-comment-211-1 ἀριθμὸς.. λόγων A mere heaping together of words. Cp. Eur. Eu Tro. 476, οὐκ ἀριθμὸν ἄλλως, ἀλλ᾽ ὑπερτάτους Φρυγῶν.

383. mvp-comment-212-1 ὅποι At what point? i.e. how long they must first continue. A pregnant expression, like ἡ μάχη ἐτελεύτα ἕως ὀψέ, Thuc. 3. 108. Cp. El. 958, ποῖ γὰρ μενεῖς ῥάθυμος;

385. mvp-comment-213-1 ἤδη γὰρ ἔσχες ἐλπίδ' What? had you begun to entertain a hope?' ὡς ἐμοῦ θεοὺς | ὥραν τιν᾿ ἕξειν] A confusion of the two constructions, ὡς ἕξοιεν θεοί and ἕξειν θεούς. Cp. Aesch. Eum. 799, αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ μαρτυρῶν | ὡς ταῦτ᾽ Ὀρέστην δρῶντα μὴ βλαβὰς ἔχειν. See Essay on Language § 36. p. 67.

387. mvp-comment-214-1 τοῖς νῦν.. μαντεύμασιν By reason of what is now feretold.

390. mvp-comment-215-1 εὐσοίας χάριν For their own preservation. εὐσοίας is mentioned in the Scholia as the better reading.

391. mvp-comment-216-1 τοιοῦδ᾽ ὑπ᾿ ἀνδρός Who can derive prosperity from such as I am? Herm. reads τίς ἄν *τι τοιοῦδ᾽ ἀνδρός..;

392. mvp-comment-217-1 φασί They say. The subject is to be inferred from l. 413, viz. ἄνδρες θεωροὶ Δελφικῆς ἀφ᾽ ἑστίας. For similar vagueness of subject in reference to a reported prophecy, cp. О. Т. 110.

395. mvp-comment-218-1 φλαύρον A poor business. There is not much good in raising up in age one who fell in youth. On the omission of ἄv, see Essay on Language § 27. P. 45.

401. mvp-comment-219-1 θύραισι κειμένου Laid at their doors. The word κειμένου, though perhaps chosen with a view to what follows, as expressing Oedipus' presentiment of his end, has more immediate reference to the inactivity of age. A young warrior received within their gates might be of some avail, but what profit was there in an old man lying idle beyond their confines? Cp. the Homeric λυγρῷ ἐπὶ γήραος οὐδῷ, and Shakespeare's unregarded age in corners thrown. Y 2

402. mvp-comment-220-1 The difficulty of interpreting this line has arisen from not observing that the dative is governed of δυστυχῶν (= δυστυχῶς γιγνόμενος) as well as of βαρύς. Cp. supr. 308. Your burial, happening in a way unfortunate for them, is a danger to them.' According to this rendering, the point of the reply is obvious enough. It needs no divine intimation to teach us this.'

405. mvp-comment-221-1 μηδ᾽ ἵν᾽ ἂν σαυτοῦ κρατῆς But not in any place where you will be your own master. The subjunctive, as usual, after a relative adverb with av. Some editors have changed κρατῆς το κρατοῖς. But although this is favoured by the explanation of the Scholiast, ὅπου κρατοῖς ἂν σαυτοῦ, and by the comparison of l. 190, the change is unnecessary. For the adversative μηδέ, cp. El. 132, οὐδ᾽ ἐθέλω προλιπεῖν τύδε.

406. mvp-comment-222-1 κατασκιῶσι Will they overshadow me? Cp. infra 1707 τύμβον.. εὐσκιαστον: The Two Noble Kinsmen, 1, 1, Human grace Affords them dust and shadow.

407. mvp-comment-223-1 ἀλλ᾽ οὐκ ἐᾷ.. σ᾽ Sc κατασκιασθῆναι Θηβαίᾳ κύνει.

407. mvp-comment-223-2 τοῦμφυλον αἷμα The guilt of parricide. Cp. Ant. 703, νεῖκος.. ξύναιμον : О. Т. 1406. Cp. Plat. Legg. 9. 871 D. (of the punishment of homicide), ὁ δὲ ὀφλὼν θανάτῳ ζημιούσθω καὶ μὴ ἐν τῇ τοῦ παθόντος χώρᾳ θαπτέσθω, where it is added that the intention to kill is to be punished in the same way, except in the matter of burial.

410. mvp-comment-224-1 ποίας φανείσης συναλλαγῆς On what conjuncture having arisen?' 414. ἐφ᾽ ἡμῖν With regard to me.' Cp. Ο. Τ. 829, ἐπ᾿ ἀνδρὶ τῷδ᾽ ἂν ὀρθοίη λόγον.

415. mvp-comment-225-1 οἱ μολόντες Those who returned, viz. the θεωροί.

416. mvp-comment-226-1 For the indefinite Tus in a question, cp. supra 66, ἄρχει τις αὐτῶν; The use of τις = πότερος, where only two are spoken of, is remarkable.

419-420. mvp-comment-227-1 It may seem unreasonable in Oedipus to expect his sons to disregard the interest and the law of Thebes. But he is absorbed in his own destiny, and is full of indignation at the thought of being taken to the borders of his country without being restored to it. This he thinks that his sons ought to have interfered to prevent. He regards the oracle as expressing the intention of Phoebus to glorify him at the expense of his countrymen if they persist in rejecting him. See Introduction, p. 281, note 2.

420. mvp-comment-228-1 φέρω δ᾽ ὅμως But still, such are the news I bring. Cp. Aesch. Pers. 248, φέρει σαφές τι πρᾶγος κλύειν : Ag. 639, ὅταν . . πήματ᾿ ἄγγελος.. φέρῃ. 421 ff. The correspondence of clauses is not perfect, a new train of thought being introduced with δέ in 422. The broken thread is resumed in 425-426. Oedipus is saying, Let their quarrel go on to the end, and may the end be the worst for both. His passion interrupts him with the further thought, Let me only have the ending of it, and then-. For the expression, cp. Pind. Nem. 10. 29, 30, πᾶν δὲ τέλος ἐν τὶν ἔργων.

424. mvp-comment-229-1 ἔχονται The present here rather marks the beginning than the continuance of the action. Take hold of,' i.e. obstinately engagein, rather than cling to, persevere in. Cp. ἔργου ἔχεσθαι.

424. mvp-comment-229-2 κἀπαναιροῦνται δόρυ. And are taking up the spear for battle.' As ἐπαναιρεῖσθαι φιλίαν, πόλεμον, are quite good expressions, there seems no reason to suspect this more literal use. And δόρυ, as elsewhere, almost = πόλεμον. ἐπαναίρονται is less suitable, for the sons of Oedipus, though preparing for the contest, are not actually engaged.

425. mvp-comment-230-1 ὡς οὔτ᾽ ἂν κ.τ.λ. This clause adds an explanation of ἐν ἐμοὶ τέλος γένοιτο, defining the manner of the end which Oedipus desired, and which he would bring about if the matter rested with him. May it be mine to determine the end-which I will determine in such a way that neither he who now holds the sceptre and the throne should remain,' etc ὡς (with the optative and av) is not here exactly equal to ἵνα with subjunctive or optative, which would mean ' (May it be mine to end it) that so neither he that holds the sceptre might remain,' etc. A slightly different way of taking the words is, May it be mine, etc:-so (since then) neither would he.etc.

426. mvp-comment-231-1 πάλιν Nor should he that is gone forth ever come back again.' The reading of Par. A, though only slightly supported by MS. authority, is possible. Cp. infr. 1372, and note. 'Nor should he that is gone forth ever be restored to his own city. But that in the text is simpler and more natur l. Cp infr. 601, ἔστιν δέ μοι | πάλιν κατελθεῖν μήποθ᾽, ὡς πατροκτόνῳ.

428. mvp-comment-232-1 So dishonoured by being thrust forth from my native land. For the expression of the predicate by an adverb, see Essay on Language § 24. p. 40; and cp. Plat. Rep 3.406 C, ὁ ἡμεῖς γελοίως οὐκ αἰσθανόμεθα.

429. mvp-comment-233-1 οὐκ ἔσχον Stayed me not, nor shielded me, but suffered me to be made a homeless outcast and proclaimed a banished man. For the dative αὐτοῖν, see Essay on Language § 13. p. 19. f.

432. mvp-comment-234-1 κατήνυσεν Fulfilled for me this boon, which I then desired. κατήνεσεν, assented to, accorded, the reading of B, is less forcible in the connection. The question is not one of promise but of performance. For the desire of Oedipus, see O. T. 1410 sqq., 1449 sqq.

436. mvp-comment-235-1 ἔρωτος τοῦδε In respect of this desire I found no helper. For the genitive, see Essay on Language § 9. p. 13. The genitive after ὠφελεῖσθαι, e. g. τοῦδε τοῦ νόμου, Antiphon, 131. 27, which has been quoted as parallel is really different from this, being a genitive of participation.

437. mvp-comment-236-1 When my grief was now all mellowed.' Cp. ὀργὴ πέπειρα, Τr. 728, and the metaphorical sense of ὠμός.

438-439. mvp-comment-237-1 And I began to know that my rage had run to excess and been too severe in chastising my former errors.' It is more probable that τῶν.. ἡμαρτημένων is genitive in regimen with κολαστήν than genitive of comparison after μείζω, (Aesch. Cho. 519), because μείζω thus receives an exclusive emphasis. Forμείζων, used thus absolutely, cp. Plat. Soph. 231 Α, μὴ μεῖζον αὐτοῖς προσάπτωμεν γέρας, and Heindorf's note.

441. mvp-comment-238-1 χρόνιον I say, after a time; resuming χρόνῳ (437), which contains the point of the sentence. The time is not imagined as being really long, though it seemed so to Oedipus. For a similar use of χρόνιος, cp Eur. Cycl. 249, χρόνιος δ᾽ εἴμ᾿ ἀπ᾿ ἀνθρώπων βορᾶς: Οr. 740.

443. mvp-comment-239-1 ἔπους σμικροῦ χάριν For a little word; i, e. For want of a little word, which they might have spoken for Cp. Eur. Or. 84, νεκρὸς γὰρ οὗτος οὔνεκα σμικρᾶς πνοῆς. He is a corpse, were it not for a little breath. And for a similar thought, Thuc. 3. 53, ὁ μὴ ῥηθεὶς λόγος τοῖς ὧδ᾽ ἔχουσιν αἰτίαν ἂν παράσχοι ὡς εἰ ἐλέχθη σωτήριος ἂν ἦν.

444. mvp-comment-240-1 σφιν Cp. αὐτοῖν, supra 430. 446-447. I have subsistence and a land where I can dwell safely.

448-449. mvp-comment-241-1 εἰλέσθην . . χθονός (1) Chose the possession of a throne, and to sway the sceptre, and to be sovereign over the land. This arrangement of the words gives a better rhythm than if (2) θρόνους is made to depend, with σκήπτρα, or κραίνειν. (3) Another explanation makes θρόνους and σκῆπτρα to be taken with εἱλέσθην, and also, in a secondary construction, with κραίνειν as epexegetic infinitive. Cp. O. Τ. 237, κράτη τε καὶ θρόνους νέμω. For the accusative, cp. the use of the passive verb in Phil. 140, παρ' ὅτῳ Διός σκῆπτρον ἀνάσσεται.

450. mvp-comment-242-1 τοῦδε Sc. ἐμοῦ.

451. mvp-comment-243-1 οὔτε σφιν It has been thought that either οὗ τι in 450 must be changed to οὔτε, or οὔτε here to οὐδέ. If so, the latter is preferable, for οὔ τι is expressive.

453. mvp-comment-244-1 συννοών *τε *τἀξ ἐμοῦ And comparing with them in thought those ancient oracles, which I bring from my own store, the same which Phoebus once accomplished upon me. Cp. supr. 93

453. mvp-comment-244-2 τὰ ἐξ ἐμοῦ, Which come from my side; i. e. in making the comparison. Cp. Τr. 631, τὸν πόθον τὸν ἐξ ἐμοῦ. The correction, although questioned by Dindorf, who supposes some deeper corruption of the text, is probable enough.

457-460. mvp-comment-245-1 ἐὰν γὰρ . . ἀρεῖσθε Cp. 72, ὡς ἄν, προσαρκῶν μικρά, κερδάνῃ μέγα: 647-648, ΘΗ. μέγ᾽ ἂν λέγοις δώρημα τῆς συνουσίας. ΟΙ. εἰ σοί γ᾽ ἅπερ φὴς ἐμμενεῖ τελοῦντί μοι: 815, τίς δ'᾽ ἄν με τῶνδε συμμάχων ἕλοι βίᾳ; 1206, ΟΙ. μόνον, ξέν', εἴπερ κεῖνος ὧδ᾽ ἐλεύσεται, μηδεὶς κρατείτω τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς ποτέ: 1489, 90, ΟΙ. ἀνθ᾽ ὧν ἔπασχον εὖ, τελεσφόρον χάριν δοῦναί σφιν, ἥνπερ τυγχάνων ὑπεσχόμην. The extension of present aid is everywhere put forward as a condition of the permanent blessing. The task of defence which he here entreats them to undertake, is fulfilled by them in resisting Creon.

457. mvp-comment-246-1 μου is genitive of the object, for which see Essay on Language § 9. p. 12.

458. mvp-comment-247-1 πρὸς * ταῖσδε ταῖς σεμναῖσι δημούχοις θεαîs] In addition to these dread goddesses that protect your deme. This seems the most probable as it is the simplest emendation of this line. Others are πρὸς ταῖσι τρισσεμναῖσι, ὁμοῦ | προστάτισι ταῖς, ξὺν προστάταις. πρός harmonizes well with the emphatic ὑμεῖς. σύν has probably been inserted as a gloss L² has ταῖς σεπταῖσι.

459. mvp-comment-248-1 ἀλκὴν ποιεῖσθαι 'Το undertake defence,' like τὰς μήχας ποιούμενος, Εl. 302: ἐποιοῦντο βουλήν, Hdt. 6. 101.

459. mvp-comment-248-2 τῇδε μὲν πόλει This reading is preferred (1) for the antithesis; (2) because tῇ may be accounted for as a corruption of yῇ explaining πόλει.

460. mvp-comment-249-1 τοῖς δ᾽ ἐμοῖς ἐχθροῖς Oedipus reverts to his own personal objects, as in 308-309 (εὐτυχὴς ἵκοιτο τῇ θ᾽ αὑτοῦ πόλει ἐμοί τε). although, as in that passage, the chief stress is laid on what is mentioned first. At the same time he leaves it to be implied that his enemies are the enemies of Athens. Cp. infra 646, ἐν ᾧ κρατήσω τῶν ἔμ᾽ ἐκβεβληκότων. The corruption in Lis due to itacism. 461 ff. The coming of Theseus is still delayed, and the scruples of the chorus cannot be set at rest without some formal expiation on the part of Oedipus. The presence of Ismene enables this to be made without Oedipus or Antigone leaving the stage. She goes to perform this service, and the chorus continue harping on the interminable theme (adding the confessional to the sacrifice), when Theseus at last enters bringing with him a very different spirit. His coming clears the air at once.

463. mvp-comment-250-1 ἐπεμβάλλεις You add, to give further weight, as if throwing into the scale. Cp. supra 293, λόγοισι γὰρ οὐκ ὠνόμασται βραχέσι. And since you add in what you have now said that you are yourself the saviour of this land. λόγῳ is partly instrumental dative, partly governed by ev in ἐπεμβάλλεις.

464. mvp-comment-251-1 παραινέσαι.. τὰ σύμφορα Το give you advice that will assist you.'

465. mvp-comment-252-1 προξένει 'Give me friendly instructions. On the uses of this word, see Essay on Language p. 97. It is here specially applicable to the position of Oedipus as a stranger, and of the chorus who are advising him in a matter where they are most of all at home.

466. mvp-comment-253-1 θοῦ νυν καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων) Institute a propitiation of these deities. Lit. A purification in relation to them. For the genitive, see Essay on Language $9. p. 12; and for θέσθαι in this sense, O. T. 134, τήνδ ἔθεσθ᾽ ἐπιστροφήν. vuv seems preferable to vûv after the imperative.

467. mvp-comment-254-1 καὶ κατέστειψας πέδον ὧν (or αὐτῶν) may be supplied from ἐφ᾽ ἅs. The reading is doubtful. κατέστεψας is unmeaning; but κατάστεψον πέδον, Adorn the ground with garlands, receives some support from the description that follows. For κατέστειψας, which gives the most natural meaning and best rhythm, cp. supra 56, ὃν δ' ἐπιστείβεις τόπον. And for the thought, cp. supr. 84, 5 and note.

470. mvp-comment-255-1 ἐνεγκοῦ Have brought. ferendam cura.

470. mvp-comment-255-2 δι᾽ ὁσίων χειρῶν θιγών The minute directions belong to the ceremonial of the place possibly still in use in the time of Sophocles. ὁσίαι χεῖρες here as in Aesch. Cho. 378, are hands pure from guilt. So Horace, Od. 3. 23. 17, Immunis aram si tetigit manus, Non sumtuosa blandior hostia Mollivit aversos Penates Farre pio et saliente mica, in lines which also recall the spirit of infra 498-499, ἀρκεῖν γὰρ οἶμαι κἀντὶ μυρίων μίαν | ψυχὴν τάδ' ἐκτίνουσαν, ὴν εὔνους παρῇ. The precept to wash the hands (Schndw.) is probably included, but with a ceremonial significance. Cp. Αj. 655, λύμαθ᾽ ἁγνίσας ἐμά.

472. mvp-comment-256-1 τέχνη Abstract for concrete. See Essay on Language p. 94; and cp. Phil. 35, 36, φλαυρουργοῦ τινὸς τεχνήματ᾿ ἀι δρός. For the (Epic) form of the sentence, cp. Τr. 752, ἀκτή τις ἐστιν. ἔιθα, κ.τ.λ.

473. mvp-comment-257-1 κρᾶτα is probably plural here, as in Pind. Fr. 3 (Eustath. 1715. 63), τρία κρᾶτα. Cp. the Homeric κράατα.

473. mvp-comment-257-2 ἀμφιστόμους Projecting on either side, rather than On either side the brim. See L. and S. s. ν. στόμα IΙI. The latter part of the compound is unemphatic.

475. mvp-comment-258-1 οἰός * γε νεαρᾶς *εὐπόκῳ μαλλῷ λαβών] The insertion of γε (Heath) is the most probable of the various corrections (νεώρου, νεώρους, νεώρας, νεώρει, ν ογνῆς, νεαλοῦς, γε νεαρᾶς) of the first part of this line. γε refers to κρόκαισιν, which it confirms and amplifies. Yes, with a fillet of wool from a young ewelamb.' νεοτόκῳ, lately born, would express the feeling of ceremonial superstition with more exactness than veo- πόκῳ, which is made up by combining the MS. readings, and may mean either newly-clipped (an etymological use, for which cp. Essay on Language pp. 99, 100) or consisting of young wool.' But there is no motive for a twofold resolution (2) in this line, and εὐπόκῳ gives a simple and natural sense. Cp. Τr. 675, ἀργῆτ᾽ οἰὺς εὐείρῳ πύκῳ. Supposing ve to have crept in from the previous word, the variation of reading may be easily accounted for.

477. mvp-comment-259-1 χοὰς χέασθαι.. Hom. Od. 10. 518, χοὴν χεῖσθαι. Cp. Crat. Com. 2. p. 151, ἄγε δὴ πρὸς ἕω πρῶτον ἁπάντων ἵστω καὶ λάμβανε χερσὶν | σχῖνον μεγάλην: Sen. Oed. 338, Altum taurus attollens caput primos ad ortus positus expavit diem. The place of offering was probably on the eastward side of the hill. See Introd. p. 273.

478. mvp-comment-260-1 ἦ.. χέω Cp. supr. 195, ἢ ᾿σθῶ;

479. mvp-comment-261-1 πηγάς El. 894-895, νεορρύτους | πηγὰς γάλακτος.

479. mvp-comment-261-2 τὸν τελευταῖον δ' ὅλον i. e. τὸν τελευταῖον κρωσσὸν χέοις ἂν ὅλον.

480. mvp-comment-262-1 With what am I to fill this that I may make the libation?" πλήσας is suggested by ὅλον. θῶ would properly govern χοήν (cp. 466), for which κρωσσών is substituted. Three vessels are to be used for the threefold libation (Ant. 431, χοαῖσι τρισπώνδοισι τὸν νέκυν στέφει); two partly filled with pure water, the third, filled to the brim with water and honey.

481. mvp-comment-263-1 The asyndeton as elsewhere in enumeration. Cp. supr. 17. Instead of a third element, which the hearer might have expected, the prohibition of wine is interposed.

481. mvp-comment-263-2 μελίσσης For the metonymy, see Essay on Language p. 81. Schol. ἀπὸ γὰρ τοῦ ποιοῦν.

481. mvp-comment-263-3 τος τὸ ποιούμενον. καὶ ἐν Ἐρασταῖς: Γλώσσης μελίσσης τῷ κατερρυηκότι.

481. mvp-comment-263-4 μηδέ But not. Cp. 405, note.

482. mvp-comment-264-1 The earth covered with dark leaves;' whether referring to the dark greensward (a slight variation of γαῖα μέλαινα), or to the deep shades of Colonus. Cp. supr. 157 ff.

483. mvp-comment-265-1 ἐξ ἀμφοῖν χεροῖν Οn both sides.' For αὐτῇ = εἰς αὐτήν, see Essay on Language § 11. p. 18. Philochorus quoted by Schol. on l. 100: οὐ μόνον θυσίας νηφαλίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ ξύλα τινά.

484. mvp-comment-266-1 τάσδ᾽ ἐπεύχεσθαι λιτάς Το add this prayer.' Cp. O. T. 1275 and note.

485. mvp-comment-267-1 μέγιστα γάρ The prayer appears to Oedipus more important than the external rites, which, however, he is ready to fulfil. τούτων is neuter.

487. mvp-comment-268-1 σωτήριον The passive use of adjectives in -τήριος is rare, and it has been attempted to give σωτήριον here an active meaning, inasmuch as Oedipus proclaims himself the saviour of Athens. But the chorus have very imperfectly realised this conception, and the expression of it would have seemed to them little in accordance with the humility of a prayer. The terms of petition are general, like the description of the previous ceremony. That they would receive their suppliant and afford him safety. See Essay on Language p. 99.

488. mvp-comment-269-1 αἰτοῦ σύ γ', αὐτός γε adds a slight emphasis to the reply.

489. mvp-comment-270-1 μηκύνων βοήν Speaking aloud. Cp. the Homeric μακρὸν ἀϋτεῖν, and the like. According to Polemo, quoted by the Scholiast on this line, the sacred rites of the Eumenides were entrusted to the family of the Ἡσυχίδαι.

491. mvp-comment-271-1 θαρσῶν ἂν παρασταίην I will defend you without fear. Said in reply to ll. 458-459. For the fears of the chorus, cp infr. 1483-1485.

494. mvp-comment-272-1 χώ τι δεῖ πρόστασσε And appoint us what we must do. For the order of words, see Essay on Language $ 41. P. 77.

496. mvp-comment-273-1 τῷ μὴ δύνασθαι μήθ᾽ ὁρᾶν 'The want of strength as well as sight. Two objections have been made to this reading-that μήτε requires a preceding μήτε, and that δύνασθαι cannot be equivalent to ἰσχύειν. But the former objection appears arbitrary (cp. supra 451): and with regard to the latter, for δύνασθαι applied to bodily strength, cp. II. 20. 360, ὅσσον δύναμαι χερσίν τε ποσίν τε: Lys. 168. 26, τῷ σώματι δύνασθαι : Plat. Phaedr. 269 D, and the Homeric use of δύναμις. See also Essay on Language pp. 95, 96. Compare Shakspeare, As You Like It, 2. 7, Oppressed with two weak evils, age and hunger.'

498-499. mvp-comment-274-1 The value of a pure intention is similarly asserted in the two lines, preserved from the Aletes of Sophocles by Stobaeus, ψυχὴ γὰρ εὔνους καὶ φρονοῦσα τοῦνδικον | κρείσσων σοφιστοῦ παντός ἐστιν εὑρέτις. Fr. 98.

499. mvp-comment-275-1 τάδ᾽ ἐκτίνουσαν Paying these dues. The change from the MS. reading is very slight, being a correction of the simplest itacism (cp. Ant. 856, where L gives ἐκτείνεις for ἐκτίνεις) and ἐκτείνουσαν has never been successfully defended.

500. mvp-comment-276-1 τι is idiomatic. Cp. Tr. 305, εἴ τι δράσεις: Phil. 286, κἄδει τι . . διακονεῖσθαι.

500. mvp-comment-276-2 μόνον δέ . . λείπετ' But leave me not alone. This gives the reason for 497, where only one of the two sisters is told to go.

502. mvp-comment-277-1 ὑφηγητοῦ γ' άνευ Hermann preferred ὑφηγητῶν ἄνευ οἱ ὑφηγητοῦ δίχα.

504. mvp-comment-278-1 χρῆ ᾿σται is equivalent to a future of χρή. Where I am to find. This form, which occurs also in a fragment of the Triptolemus quoted by the Scholiast on this passage, Fr. 539, is variously explained as a contraction for χρεία ἔσται or for χρὴ ἔσται or χρῆ ἔσται, the form χρή or χρῆ being differently regarded as a primitive indeclinable noun, whence also χρῆν and χρῆναι, or as a contraction of χρεία. Linwood conjectures ἵνα χρῆ ᾿σταί μ' ἐφευρεῖν ταῦτα. But Ismene's perplexity is more simply expressed in the text.

504. mvp-comment-278-2 κείται.

505. mvp-comment-279-1 τοὐκεῖθεν ἄλσους Sc. ὁ τόπος

506. mvp-comment-280-1 ἔποικος A resident, who had charge of the sacred utensils, etc.

509. mvp-comment-281-1 οὐδ᾽ εἰ πονῇ τις On the meaning of the subjunctive with εἰ, see Essay on Language § 27. p. 44. For the reading of Par. A, cp. O. T. 317, and v. rr. Ismene having gone to perform the sacred rites, there is a further pause before the arrival of Theseus. 510, foll. The pause is filled by a short lyrical interchange between the several members of the chorus and Oedipus, who is thus brought to make confession while Ismene performs her offering. But his confession is a defence. The chorus, although importunate, are gentler than in the former scene. The opening line is scanned as choriambic, although it may perhaps be questioned whether the Ionic metre, which occurs above in 11. 212 ff., is not more suitable here and in 517. The other metres in the Ist strophe and antistrophe are logaoedic, with one iambic colon (518 = 532); those of the 2nd strophe and antistrophe are mostly iambic. The scheme is the following :clcclcla=alalcc-a (?) 기기 9-

509. mvp-comment-281-2 The distribution of the parts amongst the members of the chorus is very uncertain. Most probably the coryphaeus speaks throughout the Ist strophe, and then the others interpose in turn.

510. mvp-comment-282-1 δεινὸν μὲν τὸ πάλαι κείμενον ἤδη κακόν, ὦ ξεῖν, ἐπεγείρειν Cp. the proverb, μὴ κινεῖν κακὸν εὐ κείμενον (Plat. Phil. p. 40), and Plat. Legg. 2. 657 E (of the poet's power of recalling the feelings of youth), τοῖς δυναμένοις ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν νεύτητα μνήμῃ ἐπεγείρειν.

514. mvp-comment-283-1 The hapless misery which you encountered. arising ing without remedy.' For the genitive (= περὶ τᾶς, κ.τ.λ.), see Essay on Language § 9. p. 13, and cp. El. 317, τοῦ κασιγνήτου τί φής;

514. mvp-comment-283-2 ξυνέστας] Cp Hdt. 7. 170, λιμῷ συνεστεῶτας : 8.74, τοιούτῳ πόνῳ συνέστασαν.

515. mvp-comment-284-1 πρὸς ξενίας An extension of the common idiom, πρὸς θεῶν, etc. Essay on Language § 19. p. 29, and cp. Aj. 492-493, πρός τ' ἐφεστίου Δίος | εὐνῆς τε τῆς σῆς, ἡ συνηλλάχθης ἐμοί.

516. mvp-comment-285-1 τᾶς σᾶς *ἃ πέπονθ᾽ ἀναιδή This conjectural reading. as well as the other which has been proposed, τᾶς σᾶς, πέπον, ἔργ᾿ ἀναιδῆ, has been suggested partly by the metrical difficulty, and party by the fact that the Scholiast appears to have taken ἀναιδή (ἔργα) to be governed by ἀνοίξῃς. Schol. μὴ πρὸς τῆς σῆς ξενίας ἀναπτύξῃς μου τὰ ἀναιδῆ ἔργα. Against πέπον it may be argued (1) that the word occurs nowhere in tragedy, (2) that where it occurs in Homer it is accompanied either by a noun in the vocative, or by the interjection 4, (3) that it is improbable that the first person (represented in the Scholion by μου) should be omitted. The word πέπονθα is in accordance with the spirit of other passages of the play (268, 537), and should be retained. ἃ πέπονθα is substituted for ἔργα, to which ἀναιδῆ is added as an emphatic epithet, My unwitting deeds of shame. Hence ἔργα was naturally inserted as a gloss. Besides the metrical objection to the MS. reading. ἀνοίξῃς requires an object, and the asyndeton takes from the smoothness of the passage without increasing its force.

517. mvp-comment-286-1 τό τοι πολὺ.. ἀκοῦσαι I would hear once for all aright what is matter of loud and still undying rumour.

517. mvp-comment-286-2 πολύ, i. e. σφόδρα λεγόμενον: cp. 305.

517. mvp-comment-286-3 πολὺ γάρ, ὦ γέρον, τὸ σὸν ὄνομα, κ.τ.λ.

517. mvp-comment-286-4 μηδαμὰ λήγον Cp. the similar expression, of a report still rife, in O. T. 731, ηὐδᾶτο γὰρ ταῦτ᾽ οὐδέ πω λήξαντ᾿ ἔχει. On the double accusative arising from the cognate use, see Essay on Language p. 25. For ξέν᾽ perhaps ξεῖν᾽, cp. infr. 530.

519. mvp-comment-287-1 στέρξον Be content, i. e. μὴ ἀγανακτοῦ ἐρόμενος ταῦτα. It is doubtful whether this line should be altered by adding δ' or γ', reading παῖδες with the MSS. in l. 532, or we should read as in the text. Cp. infr. 1692 and note. For _ _ u u _ _ in a similar passage, see El. 828, 830, 841, 843.

521. mvp-comment-288-1 ἤνεγκον κακότατα I was the victim of wretchedness. For the use of φέρω, cp. Ο. Τ. 1320, διπλά σε πενθεῖν καὶ διπλᾶ φέρειν κακά.

521. mvp-comment-288-2 ἤνεγκον *ἑκὼν μέν] If this reading is adopted, it must be acknowledged that we have here a trace of the philosophical ἀπορία (already suggested by the Epic oxymoron ἑκὼν ἀέκοντί γε θυμῷ) which is treated at length in Plato (Legg. 860, 867 A) and Aristotle (Eth. N. 3. 1), viz. whether a man acts voluntarily when he is ignorant of the circumstances. See Introd. p. 270. Oedipus must be supposed to mean that in killing Laius and in marrying Jocasta he had acted with a right good will (ср. О. Т. 422-423, τὸν ὑμέναιον ὃν δόμοις | ἄνορμον εἰσέπλευσας, εὐπλοίας τυχών), but that as he acted in ignorance, the actions were not his deliberate choice.

521. mvp-comment-288-3 ἄκων is certainly wrong and is due to some reminiscence of l. 694. Cp. Eur. Ι. Τ. 512, τρόπον γε δή τινα οὐχ ἑκὼν ἑκών. The expression is more forcible if, by a slight change. for θεὸς ἴστω, θεὸς ἴστωρ is read, as in the text.

523. mvp-comment-289-1 τούτων δ᾽ αὐθαίρετον οὐδέν For the transposition of the dactyl. in the glyconic line, see Christ's Metrik, § 119. P. 94. To avoid it here, ἐθελητόν, ἀκάθαρτον (G. Wolff), have been conjectured.

524. mvp-comment-290-1 ἀλλ᾽ ἐς τί But with regard to what? Sc. ἤνεγκες κακότατα. The curiosity of the chorus becomes impatient and peremptory.

525. mvp-comment-291-1 κακᾷ μ᾿ εὐνᾷ By an evil nuptial the city all unknowing bound me in a fatal wedlock. μέν has probably ἐν arisen from a gloss ἐν (κακᾷ μ' εὐνᾷ). Others read κακᾷ μ᾿ ἐν εὐνᾷ and alter l. 513. The correction ἴδριν is unnecessary. Oedipus has already proclaimed his own unconsciousness, and there is a certain point in adding that the citizens were equally unconscious of the nature of their gift. Cp. infr. 983, οὐκ εἰδότ᾽ οὐκ εἰδυῖα.

526. mvp-comment-292-1 γάμων ἐνέδησεν ἄτᾳ is Homeric. Il.2. 111, Ζεύς με μέγα Κρονίδης ἄτῃ ἐνέδησε βαρείῃ.

527. mvp-comment-293-1 Didst thou, as I hear it told. consummate a dishonoured nuptial with thine own mother?' ματρόθεν, i. e. πρὸς ματρός, in that relationship! !' The force of the middle voice in ἐπλήσω is ethical (Essay on Language § 31. p. 52): Didst thou to thy confusion, etc. For πίμπλημι here, cp. Aesch. Pers. 132, λέκτρα δ᾽ ἀνδρῶν πόθῳ πίμπλαται δακρύμασιν.

532. mvp-comment-294-1 My children and my curses.' Because sprung from an incestuous marriage. There is no allusion to the sons.

533. mvp-comment-295-1 ματρὸς κοινᾶς Of a mother who was also mine. It has been urged in defence of the MS. arrangement of the persons, that the responsive ἰὼ δῆτα is more suitable to the chorus. But in the present instance it belongs to the chorus to utter expressions of horror, and to Oedipus to confirm them. Cp. supr. 532, ὦ Ζεῦ.

534. mvp-comment-296-1 This line has been variously altered, but even if the true reading is lost. the general meaning is probably retained. The mistake about the persons has very naturally arisen from the suddenness with which Oedipus takes up the word. This helps to indicate the excitement of the situation.

535. mvp-comment-297-1 κοιναί γε γε assents to what the chorus were about to say, which Oedipus emphasises by the words κοιναί γε πατρός. On κοιναί, see Essay on Language p. 95. Own sisters of their own sire.

536. mvp-comment-298-1 ἰὼ δῆτα Cp. Εl. 842, ΗΛ.

536. mvp-comment-298-2 φεῦ. ΧΟ. φεῦ δῆτ᾽· ὀλοὰ γάρ: Eur. Troad. 1230, ΕΚ. οἴμοι. ΧΟ. οἴμοι δῆτα σῶν ἀλάστων κακῶν.

536. mvp-comment-298-3 μυρίων γ᾽ ἐπιστροφαὶ κακῶν Everrenewed onset of unnumbered woes. The image is that of an enemy who harasses an army by returning repeatedly to the attack with fresh forces. Cp. infr. 1045, δαΐων ἀνδρῶν .. ἐπιστροφαί, Αr. Eq 244, ἐπαναστρέφου. For the nominative after the interjection, cp. Tr. 1046-1047, ὦ .. μοχθήσας ἐγώ.

537. mvp-comment-299-1 I have suffered woes that will not be forgotten.' ἄλαστα is first governed by ἔπαθον, then ἔχειν is added pleonastically, and ἄλαστα is resumed. Sc. ἔπαθον ἄλαστα, ὥστε ἄλαστα ἔχειν τὰ παθήματα.

539-541. mvp-comment-300-1 I received a gift, which would that I, the much-enduring one, had never so benefited the state as to receive from her the privilege of choosing.' i. e. Would that I had not benefited the state so as to be honoured with the choice gift of Jocasta. In this rendering. which takes the words in a natural order, it is assumed that μή, with the past tenses of the indicative in a relative clause, may express the wish to reverse a fact in past time. Cp. Aesch. Cho. 363-366, μηδ' ὑπὸ κ.τ.λ. .. τέθαψαι. The analogy of the uses of the historical tenses with εἰ, ἄν, ἵνα, ὡς, ὅπως, to express an impossible supposition, inference, motive, or result, is all that can be urged in favour of this, except the comparison of a passage which has generally been thought corrupt, infr. 1713, ἰώ, μὴ γᾶς ἐπὶ ξένας θανεῖν ἔχρηζες. It may be further suggested, that in both these instances the unusual construction is assisted by an echo (or harmonic) of ὤφελον in ἐπωφέλησα, and of ἐχρῆν in ἔχρηζες. If this hypothesis is rejected, we must fall back on Hermann's interpretation of the words: Accepi, inquit Oedipus, donum, uxorem dicens, quod ego ut nunquam a civitate debuerim accipere, ei profui, i. e. quod ut mihi non unquam daret civitas, merui. quum eam a Sphinge liberavi. ταλακάρδιος is a poetical expansion of τάλας: cp. πυκνόπτερος, μελάμφυλλος, etc.

544. mvp-comment-301-1 παπαῖ Properly an exclamation of pain; here transferred to mental suffering, in accordance with the metaphor in έπαισας. The punctuation of the line is uncertain, i. e. it is uncertain whether δευτέραν is an epithet of νόσον, οι πληγήν is to be supplied with δεντέραν, and ἐπὶ νόσῳ νόσον is in apposition to the sentence. For ἐπὶ νόσῳ νόσον, cp. Hom. Il. 14.130, μή που τις ἐφ᾽ ἕλκεῖ ἕλκος ἄρηται.

545-546. mvp-comment-302-1 ἔχει.. πρὸς δίκας τι i. e. τὸ ἐμὸν ἔχει τι πρὸς δίκας. My case has some defence, something to be urged on the ground of justice. Cp. Ant. 598, οὐδ᾽ ἔχει λύσιν. Eur. Suppl. 64, ἔχομεν δ᾽ ἔνδικα.

546. mvp-comment-303-1 τί γάρ reiterates the expostulation of the chorus. τί γάρ has a different shade of meaning in each of the three lines, 538, 542.546: (1) Why, what then? (2) But what of this? γάρ implying that excuse will not stand. (3) Why, what is that?' 547. The MS. reading ἄλλους is condemned both by sense and metre, but the correction is uncertain. ἁλούς, adopted in the text. may be explained in two ways, (1) ἁλοὺς ἐφόνευσα = ἑάλων φονεύσας, manifesto occidi, I murdered, and was convicted of the murder:' ἁλούς proleptic. Essay on Language § 38. p. 70. Cp. Ο. Τ. 1213. ἐφεῦρέ σ᾽ ἄκονθ᾽ ὁ πάνθ᾽ ὁρῶν χρόνος. (2) Being overtaken (by destiny) I did commit the murder. The former meaning gives rather a better force to καί, and is on the whole preferable, although the construction of the participle is more natural in the latter interpretation. Porson conjectured ἄνους, (3) being infatuated. but this implies a degree of self-accusation, from which Oedipus in the Oed. Col. is wholly free.

546. mvp-comment-303-2 καὶ ὤλεσα The pleonastic expression has the solemnity of a legal indictment. Oedipus, while pleading innocence of intention, will not soften the actual crime.

548. mvp-comment-304-1 νόμῳ δὲ καθαρός The construction of these words is absorbed in the remaining clause. The word καθαρός was specially applicable to one who had been acquitted of the crime of homicide. Cp. Plato, Rep. 5. 451 Β, ἀλλὰ μέντοι, εἶπον, καθαρός γε καὶ ἐκεῖ ὁ ἀφεθείς, ὡς ὁ νόμος λέγει: Legg. 9. 865 Β, ἰατρῶν δὲ περὶ πάντων, ἂν ὁ θεραπευόμενος ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν ἀκόντων τελευτᾷ, καθαρὸς ἔστω κατὰ νόμον. ὡς ὁ νόμος λέγει and κατὰ νόμον in these passages answer to νόμῳ here. Essay on Language § 14. p. 20.

550. mvp-comment-305-1 κατ᾿ ὀμφὴν σὴν *ἀποσταλείς Brought by thy voice, i. e. by the message sent at the request of Oedipus (1.70). The word ὀμφή has sacred associations, and is used in this play, supr. 102, of Apollo; infr. 1351, of Oedipus again: not elsewhere by Sophocles.

550. mvp-comment-305-2 ἀποσταλείς, the reading of Turnebus, is nearer to the indications of our present MSS. than any other correction, and gives a better sense than ὃς ἐστάλη οι ἐφ᾽ ἁστάλη. See where our lord Theseus, Aegeus son, hath set forth at thy word, and is now come.' 551. The words from ἔν τε to διαφθοράς are introduced by an afterthought, and modify the rest of the sentence. Cp. Phil. 1411, foll., αὐδὴν τὴν Ἡρακλέους ἀκοῇ τε κλύειν λεύσσειν τ᾽ ὄψιν. See Essay on Language p. 65 f. VOL. I. Z

553. mvp-comment-306-1 ὁδοῖς ἐν ταῖσδε In thy present coming. Cp. Εl. 68, δέξασθέ μ᾽ εὐτυχοῦντα ταῖσδε ταῖς ὁδοῖς.

555. mvp-comment-307-1 σκευή Thine apparel: which, though travel-stained, is that of a noble Theban.

556. mvp-comment-308-1 ὃς εἰ A pronominal expression to avoid the repetition of the name. Ср. О. Т. 1036, ὥστ᾽ ὠνομάσθης ἐκ τύχης ταύτης ὃς εἶ.

556. mvp-comment-308-2 καί σ᾽ οἰκτίσας, κ.τ.λ. With a native generosity which Oedipus fully acknowledges (infr. 570), Theseus is ready to protect Oedipus, although not ignorant of the nature of his misfortunes (supr. 305 ff., 551 ff.). But he imagines himself to be conferring a favour, and knows not that the blind wayfarer has more to give than to receive. Once more, therefore, we have a fine contrast between the real and the apparent situation.

557. mvp-comment-309-1 θέλω *' περέσθαι This correction of the Laurentian reading (=τὶ) is more probable than the reading of B, in which o' is awkwardly repeated. For the aphaeresis, cp. Phil. 592, λέγω. 'πὶ τοῦτον, κ.τ.λ.

560. mvp-comment-310-1 δεινήν, κ.τ.λ. Either (r1) 'For that were a hard task indeed from which, on your mentioning it, I should recoil.' Or (2) For that would be a terrible fortune, of which the mention would make me shrink from giving relief. The latter rendering gives a more natural meaning to πρᾶξις (cp. Hdt. 3. 65, ἀπέκλαιε πᾶσαν τὴν ἑωυτοῦ πρήξιν), and is more in accordance with what follows (ὑπεκτραποίμην, κ.τ.λ.). And the usual question addressed to suppliants is, What is your misfortune? rather than, What would you have us do?' For the sentiment, cp. Eur. Suppl. 339. 40, (Θησ.) ὡς τοῖς ἐμοῖσιν οὐχὶ πρόσφορον τρόποις | φεύγειν τὰ δεινά. For the emphatic use of the adj., see Essay on Language p. 80.

562. mvp-comment-311-1 ὡς οἶδά γ᾽ αὐτός Yes, for I know, that I myself was brought up a stranger, as thou art now. Theseus was reared by his grandfather Pittheus at Troezen.

563. mvp-comment-312-1 χώς τις πλεῖστ᾽ ἀνήρ i. e. καὶ ὥς τις ἀνὴρ πλεῖστα (sc. ἤθλησεν). Ι have laboured, as any one hath laboured most:' i. e. as much as any one (ut qui plurima). The more usual expression would be ὅσα τις πλεῖστα.

564. mvp-comment-313-1 ἤθλησα κινδυνεύματα Cognate accusative.

564. mvp-comment-313-2 ἐν τὠμῷ κάρᾳ In my own person : i. e. they were dangers to my own life which I met by my own exertions, referring to the adventure with Sciron, etc. For ev, cp. the expression, ἐν τῷ Καρὶ ὑμῖν ὁ κίνδυνοos, Plat. Lach. 187 B.

565. mvp-comment-314-1 ὥσπερ σὺ νῦν For the nominative, cp. Aj. 525, ἔχειν σ᾽ ἂν οἶκτον ὡς κἀγώ: Il. 6.477, γενέσθαι | παῖδ᾽ ἐμόν, ὡς καὶ ἐγώ περ.

568. mvp-comment-315-1 σοῦ Essay on Language p. 13, 4 a.

569-570. mvp-comment-316-1 Theseus, your nobleness in brief speech hath spared me the necessity of saying much.' Either (1) βραχέα is the subject of δεῖσθαι, or (2) the object of φράσαι, the subject of δεῖσθαι being τὸ πρᾶγμα. The object of παρῆκεν is absorbed in the following clause. Cp. Eur. Fr. 310, πάρες .. ὑπερβῶαι . . νάπη. For δέομαι passive, cp. Hdt. 4. 11, ὡς ἀπαλλάσσεσθαι πρήγμα εἴη, μηδὲ πρὸς πολλοὺς δεόμενον κινδυνεύειν. Essay on Language § 31. p. 54. δεῖται in Plat. Meno, 79 C, although impersonal (sc. τὸ πρᾶγμα ἢ ὁ λόγος), is middle voice and not passive as here.

572. mvp-comment-317-1 καὶ γῆς ὁποίας ἦλθον This was implied in σκευή, l. 555 .

574. mvp-comment-318-1 χώ λόγος διέρχεται ‘And our conference draws to an end." This is the reading of the best MSS. διοίχεται, which is much commoner in this sense (cp. e. g. Eur. Suppl. 530), is given as a various reading in Par. A, and appears in the text of two other MSS. διέρχε ται is best supported by comparing Dem. 541. 22, πάντα δ᾽ ἤδη διεξεληλύθει, and Plat. Rep. 6. 484 Α, διὰ μακροῦ τινος διεξελθόντος λόγου.

577-578. mvp-comment-319-1 τὰ δὲ .. καλή But the gain to be obtained from it is better than beauty. Cp. Eur. Fr. 552, νοῦν χρὴ θεᾶσθαι, *νοῦν· τί τῆς εὐμορφίας | ὄφελος, ὅταν μὴ τὰς φρένας καλὰς ἔχῃ; 580-581. For the datives, see Essay on Language § 11. p. 18.

577-578. mvp-comment-319-2 ἡ σὴ προσφορά 'The advantage which you bring.

583-584. mvp-comment-320-1 τὰ δ᾽ ἐν μέσῳ, κ.τ.λ. The construction is defined (with ποιεῖ) as the sentence proceeds. For the irregular accusative, see Essay on Language § 15. p. 22.

585. mvp-comment-321-1 ἐνταῦθα γάρ μοι κεῖνα συγκομίζεται For in this favour those other offices are comprised; i. e. To assure him burial by the hand of Theseus was to assure him protection from the attempt of Creon.

586. mvp-comment-322-1 (1) You have indeed summed up your request in one short word. Or (2) This favour which you ask consists in a little thing:' in re levi positam gratiam. Ellendt. For (1) cp. Εl. 673, ἐν βραχεῖ ξυνθεὶς λέγω.

587. mvp-comment-323-1 Yet be advised; this is no trifling matter.' ἁγὼν ὅδε, the struggle or endeavour or peril implied in granting the request.

588. mvp-comment-324-1 πότερα τὰ τῶν σῶν ἐκγόνων, ἢ μοῦ λέγεις;] In saying this, are you speaking of what relates to your sons, or of something that relates to me?' Theseus is bewildered by the words of Oedipus. Hearing of a contest in connection with the death of Oedipus, he naturally thinks of the impending conflict at Thebes, of which he cannot but have heard something. But, as he afterwards says more explicitly, he does not Z2 see how he is to be involved in this. Cp. Phil. 1384, λέγεις δ' Ἀτρείδαις ὄφελος, ἢ ἐπ᾿ ἐμοὶ τόδε;

589. mvp-comment-325-1 ἀναγκάζουσι If this is the right reading, which, from the frequent confusion of and o, is not quite certain (cp. 603), the present is used with future meaning, as in Aesch. Prom. 513, ὧδε δεσμὰ φυγγάνω: ib. 525, δεσμοὺς ἀεικεῖς καὶ δύας ἐκφυγγάνω. Cp. Phil. 1379, κἀποσώζοντας νόσου. The subject of κομίζειν (sc. τινά, cp. infr. 933) is to be gathered from the context. They will enforce my being taken thither;' i. e. They will force the consent of Theseus and the Athenians to this. Universe eos intelligit, qui tradendi Oedipi potestatem habeant. Herm. Another rendering has been proposed - They will use compulsion against me to carry me back thither.' But such a use of ἀναγκάζω with the infinitive is inadmissible.

590. mvp-comment-326-1 εἰ θέλοντ᾿ ἄν γ᾽, οὐδὲ σοὶ φεύγειν καλόν] The reading of this line is very doubtful, but that of L is as probable as any other. There would seem to be an ellipse of some such words as βούλοιντο κομίζειν or the like. But if they chose to fetch you in case of your being willing to go, then on your part it would not be becoming to remain in banishment.' Cp. Od. 15. 280, οὐ μὲν δή σ' ἐθέλοντά γ᾽ ἀπώσω νηὸς έΐσης. Hes. Op. D. 355. For the ellipse with el, see Essay on Language § 28. p. 47; and cp. Αj. 886, εἴ ποθι πλαζόμενον λεύσσων: Pind. Ol. 2. 56, εἰ δέ νιν ἔχων τις ? And, for av with the present participle, infra 761, κἀπὸ παντὸς ἂν φέρων, κ.τ.λ. Reisig's emendation θέλοντάς γ', But (consider) whether it be not unbecoming in you to be exiled from them desiring to have you back again, although not convincing, deserves consideration.

591. mvp-comment-327-1 ἀλλ᾽ οὐδ᾽, ὅτ᾽ αὐτὸς ἤθελον, παρίεσαν This line, at first sight, rather favours the emendation θέλοντάς γ' in 590. But αὐτός = of my own accord, may distinguish between mere willingness and the spontaneous wish, and the same word has not necessarily the same reference even in two consecutive lines. Cp. supr. 71, μόλοι and note.

592. mvp-comment-328-1 But then, foolish man, anger in calamity is hurtful.'

593. mvp-comment-329-1 ὅταν μάθῃς μου • When you have learnt the nature of the case from me.'

594. mvp-comment-330-1 ἄνευ γνώμης Without consideration.

596. mvp-comment-331-1 γένους Of your birth, rather than Of your race.

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Commentary on lines 451–600

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ἐπάξιος μέν, Οἰδίπους, κατοικτίσαι, αὐτός τε παῖδές θʼ αἵδʼ· ἐπεὶ δὲ τῆσδε γῆς σωτῆρα σαυτὸν τῷδʼ ἐπεμβάλλεις λόγῳ, παραινέσαι σοι βούλομαι τὰ σύμφορα.

Οἰδίπους ὦ φίλταθʼ, ὥς νυν πᾶν τελοῦντι προξένει. 465

Χορός θοῦ νυν καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων, ἐφʼ ἃς [102 b. τὸ πρῶτον ἵκου καὶ κατέστειψας πέδον.

Οἰδίπους τρόποισι ποίοις; ὦ ξένοι, διδάσκετε.

Χορός πρῶτον μὲν ἱερὰς ἐξ ἀειρύτου χοὰς κρήνης ἐνεγκοῦ, διʼ ὁσίων χειρῶν θιγών. 470

Οἰδίπους ὅταν δὲ τοῦτο χεῦμʼ ἀκήρατον λάβω;

Χορός κρατῆρές εἰσιν, ἀνδρὸς εὔχειρος τέχνη, ὧν κρᾶτʼ ἔρεψον καὶ λαβὰς ἀμφιστόμους.

Οἰδίπους θαλλοῖσιν, ἢ κρόκαισιν, ἢ ποίῳ τρόπῳ;

Χορός οἰός *γε νεαρᾶς * εὐπόκῳ μαλλῷ λαβών. 475

Οἰδίπους εἶεν· τὸ δʼ ἔνθεν ποῖ τελευτῆσαί με χρή;

Χορός χοὰς χέασθαι στάντα πρὸς πρώτην ἕω.

Οἰδίπους ἦ τοῖσδε κρωσσοῖς οἷς λέγεις χέω τάδε;

Χορός τρισσάς γε πηγάς· τὸν τελευταῖον δʼ ὅλον.

Οἰδίπους τοῦ τόνδε πλήσας θῶ; δίδασκε καὶ τόδε. 480

Χορός ὕδατος, μελίσσης· μηδὲ προσφέρειν μέθυ.

Οἰδίπους ὅταν δὲ τούτων γῆ μελάμφυλλος τύχῃ;

Χορός τρὶς ἐννέʼ αὐτῇ κλῶνας ἐξ ἀμφοῖν χεροῖν τιθεὶς ἐλαίας τάσδʼ ἐπεύχεσθαι λιτάς.

Οἰδίπους τούτων ἀκοῦσαι βούλομαι· μέγιστα γάρ. 485

Οἰδίπους ὦ παῖδε, κλύετον τῶνδε προσχώρων ξένων ;

Ἀντιγόνη ἠκούσαμέν τε χὤ τι δεῖ πρόστασσε δρᾶν.

Ἰσμήνη ἀλλʼ εἶμʼ ἐγὼ τελοῦσα· τὸν τόπον δʼ ἵνα χρῆ ʼσται μʼ ἐφευρεῖν, τοῦτο βούλομαι μαθεῖν.

Χορός τοὐκεῖθεν ἄλσους, ὦ ξένη, τοῦδʼ. ἢν δέ του 505 σπάνιν τινʼ ἴσχῃς, ἔστʼ ἔποικος, ὃς φράσει.

Ἰσμήνη χωροῖμʼ ἂν ἐς τόδʼ. Ἀντιγόνη, σὺ δʼ ἐνθάδε φύλασσε πατέρα τόνδε· τοῖς τεκοῦσι γὰρ οὐδʼ εἰ πονῇ τις, δεῖ πόνου μνήμην ἔχειν.

Χορός α

δεινὸν μὲν τὸ πάλαι κείμενον ἤδη κακόν, ὦ ξεῖνʼ, ἐπεγείρειν· 510 ὅμως δʼ ἔραμαι πυθέσθαι

Οἰδίπους τί τοῦτο;

Χορός τᾶς δειλαίας ἀπόρου φανείσας ἀλγηδόνος, ᾇ ξυνέστας.

Οἰδίπους μὴ πρὸς ξενίας ἀνοίξῃς 515 τᾶς σᾶς *ἃ πέπονθʼ ἀναιδῆ.

Χορός τό τοι πολὺ καὶ μηδαμὰ λῆγον χρῄζω, ξέν, ὀρθὸν ἄκουσμʼ ἀκοῦσαι.

Οἰδίπους ὤμοι.

Χορός στέρξον, ἱκετεύω.

Οἰδίπους φεῦ φεῦ.

Χορός πείθου· κἀγὼ γὰρ ὅσον σὺ προσχρῄζεις. 520

Οἰδίπους α

ἤνεγκον κακότατʼ, ὦ ξένοι, ἤνεγκον * ἑκὼν μέν, θεὸς ἴστωρ, τούτων δʼ αὐθαίρετον οὐδέν.

Χορός ἀλλʼ ἐς τί;

Οἰδίπους κακᾷ μʼ εὐνᾷ πόλις οὐδὲν ἴδρις 525 γάμων ἐνέδησεν ἄτᾳ.

Χορός ἦ ματρόθεν, ὡς ἀκούω, δυσώνυμα λέκτρʼ ἐπλήσω;

Οἰδίπους ὤμοι, θάνατος μὲν τάδʼ ἀκούειν, ὦ ξεῖνʼ· αὗται δὲ δύʼ ἐξ ἐμοῦ * μὲν 530

Χορός πῶς φῄς;

Οἰδίπους *παῖδε, δύο δʼ ἄτα

Χορός ὦ Ζεῦ.

Οἰδίπους ματρὸς κοινᾶς ἀπέβλαστον ὠδῖνος.

Χορός

* αἵδʼ εἴσʼ ἄρʼ ἀπόγονοί τε καὶ

Οἰδίπους κοιναί γε πατρὸς ἀδελφεαί. 535

Χορός ἰώ.

Οἰδίπους ἰὼ δῆτα μυρίων γʼ ἐπιστροφαὶ κακῶν.

Χορός ἔπαθες

Οἰδίπους ἔπαθον ἄλαστʼ ἔχειν.

Χορός ἔρεξας

Οἰδίπους οὐκ ἔρεξα.

Χορός τί γάρ;

Οἰδίπους ἐδεξάμην δῶρον, ὃ μήποτʼ ἐγὼ ταλακάρδιος 540 ἐπωφέλησα πόλεος ἐξελέσθαι.

Χορός β

δύστανε, τί γάρ; ἔθου φόνον

Οἰδίπους τί τοῦτο; τί δʼ ἐθέλεις μαθεῖν;

Χορός πατρός;

Οἰδίπους παπαῖ, δευτέραν ἔπαισας, ἐπὶ νόσῳ νόσον.

Χορός ἔκανες 545

Οἰδίπους ἔκανον. ἔχει δέ μοι [103 b.

Χορός τί τοῦτο;

Οἰδίπους πρὸς δίκας τι.

Χορός τί γάρ;

Οἰδίπους ἐγὼ φράσω. καὶ γὰρ *ἁλοὺς ἐφόνευσα καὶ * ὤλεσα· νόμῳ δὲ καθαρός, ἄϊδρις ἐς τόδʼ ἦλθον.

Χορός

καὶ μὴν ἄναξ ὅδʼ ἡμὶν Αἰγέως γόνος Θησεὺς κατʼ ὀμφὴν σὴν * ἀποσταλεὶς πάρα. 550

Θησεύς τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ νῦν δίδασχʼ, ὅπως ἂν ἐκμάθω. 575

Οἰδίπους δώσων ἱκάνω τοὐμὸν ἄθλιον δέμας σοὶ δῶρον, οὐ σπουδαῖον εἰς ὄψιν· τὰ δὲ κέρδη παρʼ αὐτοῦ κρείσσονʼ ἢ μορφὴ καλή.

Θησεύς

ποῖον δὲ κέρδος ἀξιοῖς ἥκειν φέρων ;

Οἰδίπους χρόνῳ μάθοις ἄν, οὐχὶ τῷ παρόντι που. 580

Θησεύς ποίῳ γὰρ ἡ σὴ προσφορὰ δηλώσεται;

Οἰδίπους ὅταν θάνω ἐγὼ καὶ σύ μου ταφεὺς γένῃ.

Θησεύς τὰ λοῖσθʼ ἄρʼ αἰτεῖ τοῦ βίου, τὰ δʼ ἐν μέσῳ ἢ λῆστιν ἴσχεις ἢ διʼ οὐδενὸς ποιεῖ.

Οἰδίπους ἐνταῦθα γάρ μοι κεῖνα συγκομίζεται. 585

ἐπάξιος μέν, Οἰδίπους, κατοικτίσαι,

αὐτός τε παῖδές θʼ αἵδʼ· ἐπεὶ δὲ τῆσδε γῆς

σωτῆρα σαυτὸν τῷδʼ ἐπεμβάλλεις λόγῳ,

παραινέσαι σοι βούλομαι τὰ σύμφορα.

Οἰδίπους

ὦ φίλταθʼ, ὥς νυν πᾶν τελοῦντι προξένει.
465

Χορός

θοῦ νυν καθαρμὸν τῶνδε δαιμόνων, ἐφʼ ἃς

[102 b.

τὸ πρῶτον ἵκου καὶ κατέστειψας πέδον.

Οἰδίπους

τρόποισι ποίοις; ὦ ξένοι, διδάσκετε.

Χορός

πρῶτον μὲν ἱερὰς ἐξ ἀειρύτου χοὰς

κρήνης ἐνεγκοῦ, διʼ ὁσίων χειρῶν θιγών.
470

Οἰδίπους

ὅταν δὲ τοῦτο χεῦμʼ ἀκήρατον λάβω;

Χορός

κρατῆρές εἰσιν, ἀνδρὸς εὔχειρος τέχνη,

ὧν κρᾶτʼ ἔρεψον καὶ λαβὰς ἀμφιστόμους.

Οἰδίπους

θαλλοῖσιν, ἢ κρόκαισιν, ἢ ποίῳ τρόπῳ;

Χορός

οἰός γε νεαρᾶς εὐπόκῳ μαλλῷ λαβών.
475

Οἰδίπους

εἶεν· τὸ δʼ ἔνθεν ποῖ τελευτῆσαί με χρή;

Χορός

χοὰς χέασθαι στάντα πρὸς πρώτην ἕω.

Οἰδίπους

ἦ τοῖσδε κρωσσοῖς οἷς λέγεις χέω τάδε;

Χορός

τρισσάς γε πηγάς· τὸν τελευταῖον δʼ ὅλον.

Οἰδίπους

τοῦ τόνδε πλήσας θῶ; δίδασκε καὶ τόδε.
480

Χορός

ὕδατος, μελίσσης· μηδὲ προσφέρειν μέθυ.

Οἰδίπους

ὅταν δὲ τούτων γῆ μελάμφυλλος τύχῃ;

Χορός

τρὶς ἐννέʼ αὐτῇ κλῶνας ἐξ ἀμφοῖν χεροῖν

τιθεὶς ἐλαίας τάσδʼ ἐπεύχεσθαι λιτάς.

Οἰδίπους

τούτων ἀκοῦσαι βούλομαι· μέγιστα γάρ.
485

Οἰδίπους

ὦ παῖδε, κλύετον τῶνδε προσχώρων ξένων ;

Ἀντιγόνη

ἠκούσαμέν τε χὤ τι δεῖ πρόστασσε δρᾶν.

Ἰσμήνη

ἀλλʼ εἶμʼ ἐγὼ τελοῦσα· τὸν τόπον δʼ ἵνα

χρῆ ʼσται μʼ ἐφευρεῖν, τοῦτο βούλομαι μαθεῖν.

Χορός

τοὐκεῖθεν ἄλσους, ὦ ξένη, τοῦδʼ. ἢν δέ του
505

σπάνιν τινʼ ἴσχῃς, ἔστʼ ἔποικος, ὃς φράσει.

Ἰσμήνη

χωροῖμʼ ἂν ἐς τόδʼ. Ἀντιγόνη, σὺ δʼ ἐνθάδε

φύλασσε πατέρα τόνδε· τοῖς τεκοῦσι γὰρ

οὐδʼ εἰ πονῇ τις, δεῖ πόνου μνήμην ἔχειν.

Χορός
α

δεινὸν μὲν τὸ πάλαι κείμενον ἤδη κακόν, ὦ ξεῖνʼ, ἐπεγείρειν·
510

ὅμως δʼ ἔραμαι πυθέσθαι

Οἰδίπους

τί τοῦτο;

Χορός

τᾶς δειλαίας ἀπόρου φανείσας

ἀλγηδόνος, ᾇ ξυνέστας.

Οἰδίπους

μὴ πρὸς ξενίας ἀνοίξῃς
515

τᾶς σᾶς *ἃ πέπονθʼ ἀναιδῆ.

Χορός

τό τοι πολὺ καὶ μηδαμὰ λῆγον

χρῄζω, ξέν, ὀρθὸν ἄκουσμʼ ἀκοῦσαι.

Οἰδίπους

ὤμοι.

Χορός

στέρξον, ἱκετεύω.

Οἰδίπους

φεῦ φεῦ.

Χορός

πείθου· κἀγὼ γὰρ ὅσον σὺ προσχρῄζεις.
520

Οἰδίπους
α

ἤνεγκον κακότατʼ, ὦ ξένοι, ἤνεγκον * ἑκὼν μέν, θεὸς

ἴστωρ,

τούτων δʼ αὐθαίρετον οὐδέν.

Χορός

ἀλλʼ ἐς τί;

Οἰδίπους

κακᾷ μʼ εὐνᾷ πόλις οὐδὲν ἴδρις
525

γάμων ἐνέδησεν ἄτᾳ.

Χορός

ἦ ματρόθεν, ὡς ἀκούω,

δυσώνυμα λέκτρʼ ἐπλήσω;

Οἰδίπους

ὤμοι, θάνατος μὲν τάδʼ ἀκούειν,

ὦ ξεῖνʼ· αὗται δὲ δύʼ ἐξ ἐμοῦ * μὲν
530

Χορός

πῶς φῄς;

Οἰδίπους

*παῖδε, δύο δʼ ἄτα

Χορός

ὦ Ζεῦ.

Οἰδίπους

ματρὸς κοινᾶς ἀπέβλαστον ὠδῖνος.

Οἰδίπους

κοιναί γε πατρὸς ἀδελφεαί.
535

Χορός

ἰώ.

Οἰδίπους

ἰὼ δῆτα μυρίων γʼ ἐπιστροφαὶ κακῶν.

Χορός

ἔπαθες

Οἰδίπους

ἔπαθον ἄλαστʼ ἔχειν.

Χορός

ἔρεξας

Οἰδίπους

οὐκ ἔρεξα.

Χορός

τί γάρ;

Οἰδίπους

ἐδεξάμην

δῶρον, ὃ μήποτʼ ἐγὼ ταλακάρδιος
540

ἐπωφέλησα πόλεος ἐξελέσθαι.

Χορός
β

Οἰδίπους

τί τοῦτο; τί δʼ ἐθέλεις μαθεῖν;

Χορός

πατρός;

Οἰδίπους

παπαῖ, δευτέραν ἔπαισας, ἐπὶ νόσῳ νόσον.

Χορός

ἔκανες
545

Οἰδίπους

ἔκανον. ἔχει δέ μοι

[103 b.

Χορός

τί τοῦτο;

Οἰδίπους

πρὸς δίκας τι.

Χορός

τί γάρ;

Οἰδίπους

ἐγὼ φράσω.

καὶ γὰρ ἁλοὺς ἐφόνευσα καὶ ὤλεσα·

νόμῳ δὲ καθαρός, ἄϊδρις ἐς τόδʼ ἦλθον.

καὶ μὴν ἄναξ ὅδʼ ἡμὶν Αἰγέως γόνος

Θησεὺς κατʼ ὀμφὴν σὴν * ἀποσταλεὶς πάρα.
550

Θησεύς

τοῦτʼ αὐτὸ νῦν δίδασχʼ, ὅπως ἂν ἐκμάθω.
575

Οἰδίπους

δώσων ἱκάνω τοὐμὸν ἄθλιον δέμας

σοὶ δῶρον, οὐ σπουδαῖον εἰς ὄψιν· τὰ δὲ

κέρδη παρʼ αὐτοῦ κρείσσονʼ ἢ μορφὴ καλή.

Οἰδίπους

χρόνῳ μάθοις ἄν, οὐχὶ τῷ παρόντι που.
580

Θησεύς

ποίῳ γὰρ ἡ σὴ προσφορὰ δηλώσεται;

Οἰδίπους

ὅταν θάνω ἐγὼ καὶ σύ μου ταφεὺς γένῃ.

Θησεύς

τὰ λοῖσθʼ ἄρʼ αἰτεῖ τοῦ βίου, τὰ δʼ ἐν μέσῳ

ἢ λῆστιν ἴσχεις ἢ διʼ οὐδενὸς ποιεῖ.

Οἰδίπους

ἐνταῦθα γάρ μοι κεῖνα συγκομίζεται.
585

Θησεύς

ἀλλʼ ἐν βραχεῖ δὴ τήνδε μʼ ἐξαιτεῖ χάριν.

Οἰδίπους

ὅρα γε μήν· οὐ σμικρός, οὔχ, ἁγὼν ὅδε.

Θησεύς

πότερα τὰ τῶν σῶν ἐκγόνων, ἢ ʼμοῦ λέγεις ;

Οἰδίπους

κεῖνοι κομίζειν κεῖσʼ ἀναγκάζουσί με.

Θησεύς

ἀλλʼ εἰ θέλοντʼ ἄν γʼ, οὐδὲ σοὶ φεύγειν καλόν.
590
[104 a.

Οἰδίπους

ἀλλʼ οὐδʼ, ὅτʼ αὐτὸς ἤθελον, παρίεσαν.

Θησεύς

ὦ μῶρε, θυμὸς δʼ ἐν κακοῖς οὐ ξύμφορον.

Οἰδίπους

ὅταν μάθῃς μου, νουθέτει, τανῦν δʼ ἔα.

Θησεύς

δίδασκʼ. ἄνευ γνώμης γὰρ οὔ με χρὴ λέγειν.

Οἰδίπους

πέπονθα, Θησεῦ, δεινὰ πρὸς κακοῖς κακά.
595